Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicles: Accidents

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of traffic collision fatalities attributed to heavy goods vehicles.

Jesse Norman: Accidents involving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) have been on a downward trend. In 2007, in Great Britain, there were 9,829 reported road accidents involving personal injury and at least one HGV, which has decreased by 51% to 4,789 road accidents in 2017.Road safety remains a priority for the Department. For example, the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy: Safety Review, published in November 2018, set out a number of actions designed to reduce risks from HGVs. These include rolling out ‘safe urban driving’ training courses nationally, and working at international level to improve the safety performance of new vehicles including HGVs still further.

Northern: Industrial Disputes

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with the Rail, Maritime, and Transport Union RMT to resolve the dispute with Northern on train guards.

Andrew Jones: The industrial dispute is a matter between Northern, its employees and their union representative in which the Government cannot intervene directly. However, the Government is keen for these strikes to end and has written to the Rail North Partnership (through which the Department and Transport for the North co-manage the Northern franchise) expressing our clear support for a second member of staff on Northern trains who is focused on delivering excellent customer service. Northern has confirmed to the RMT that there will continue to be a second appropriately trained member of staff on board the trains, and have guaranteed jobs and pay will be protected. The Government therefore continues to call on both parties to engage in talks and resolve the dispute.

Gatwick Airport: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the disruption caused by the Gatwick drone incident in December 2018.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport has not made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the disruption caused by the Gatwick drone incident in December 2018.

Driving: Diabetes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received representation from the DVLA on the use of (a) FreeStyle Libre and (b) Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices to monitor blood glucose levels for people with diabetes.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the DVLA Medical Advisory Panel has plans to update guidance for drivers with diabetes on insulin on using FreeStyle Libre and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices to monitor their blood glucose levels.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is currently amending the Assessing Fitness to Drive guidance on the use of new monitoring technologies for people with diabetes. The revised guidance is due to be published in February. This will allow the testing of interstitial fluid for driving licensing purposes for people with diabetes who drive cars or motorcycles. Drivers of goods vehicles and buses must continue to monitor blood glucose levels.

Roads: Parking

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to clarify to local authorities their powers relating to unintended consequences to neighbouring parking spaces in relation to planning permission to install a dropped kerb.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport has no current plans to issue new guidance to local authorities on the provision of dropped kerbs. Local authorities are already expected to give consideration to local circumstances, including local parking and traffic management requirements, when determining applications for dropped kerbs.

Travel: Insurance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Department for Exiting the European on the potential effect on the insurance industry of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the insurance industry on the financial support they will receive to provide their customers with a green card in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the unit cost of administering the distribution of a green card for driving in the EU in 2019; and projection his Department has made of the ongoing cost of administering that distribution.

Chris Grayling: My officials and I have engaged, and continue to engage, with the motor insurance industry and other relevant departments to ensure that both the Government and insurance sector are prepared for every eventuality. We have discussed the need for any financial support with the motor insurance industry, in particular the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, in preparation for a ‘no deal’ scenario. However, the cost to the industry of providing their customers with Green Cards as proof of third party motor insurance while abroad in the event of ‘no deal’ is expected to be minimal and financial support offered by the Government has not been deemed necessary by the industry at this stage. Green Cards are provided to motorists free-of-charge by their insurers, although they may choose to reflect production and handling costs through a small increase to their administration fees depending on demand.  It should be noted that the UK continues to meet all of the requirements for remaining part of the Green Card-free circulation zone and we continue to urge the European Commission to issue an implementing decision that would ensure UK motorists can drive in the EU without a Green Card and vice versa.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking provide guidance to British citizens who may require multiple green cards to cover their vehicle and any trailers for driving in EU countries after 29 March 2019.

Chris Grayling: From 29 March 2019, if there is no EU exit deal and the European Commission does not make an implementing decision allowing the UK to remain a part of the Green Card-free area, we expect that motorists will be required to carry a Green Card as proof of their third-party motor insurance when driving in EU or EEA countries. Guidance on Green Cards is available in the technical notice “Vehicle Insurance if there’s no Brexit Deal”, which was published in September last year. This guidance highlights that multiple Green Cards may be required if: You are a commercial operator and have fleet insurance (as you may need a Green Card for each vehicle);You have a trailer attached to your vehicle (as some countries require separate trailer insurance);You have two policies covering the duration of your trip (e.g. your policy renews whilst you are away). Motorists should contact their vehicle insurer who will be able to provide advice on Green Cards requirements, and issue them with the relevant documentation.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of green cards the insurance industry will need to issue prior to 29 March  2019.

Chris Grayling: There has been no specific estimate of the number of Green Cards the insurance industry will need to issue prior to 29 March 2019. However, it is estimated that between 2 - 4 million unique vehicles travel from the UK to the EU every year, which may require Green Cards should an agreement with the European Commission not be in place. This figure has been estimated using annual vehicle movements that cover the number of trips by UK private vehicles, coaches and HGVs travelling from the UK. There have been assumptions on the number of vehicles that make single trips, for example holiday makers, and those that make repeat trips, for example hauliers. The UK is maintaining the requirement for third party motor insurance cover for travel to the EU and therefore meets all requirements needed to remain a part of the green card-free circulation zone after our exit from the EU. We continue to urge the European Commission to issue an implementing decision that would ensure that UK motorists can drive in the EU without a Green Card, and vice versa.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he plans to provide to EU officials charged with administrating the green card rules on the rules governing the use of digital cards in place of a physical cards.

Chris Grayling: A Green Card is an internationally recognised document issued for free by motor insurers that provides proof of third party motor insurance while driving abroad. The Council of Bureaux, the managing organisation of the Green Card system and the Motor Insurance Directives, does not have an agreement with the UN allowing motorists to use digital Green Cards instead of physical ones. In the event of ‘no deal’, the guidance from the UK Government is that UK motorists driving in the EU may need to carry a physical Green Card. It should be noted that the UK will meet all of the requirements for remaining part of the Green Card-free circulation zone on our exit from the EU and we continue to urge the European Commission to issue an implementing decision that would ensure UK motorists can drive in the EU without a Green Card and vice versa.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on motor insurance for UK drivers in EU countries after 29 March 2019.

Chris Grayling: My officials and I regularly engage with our European counterparts in the European Commission, Council of Bureaux and EU Member States on issues relating to UK motor insurance after the 29th March 2019, including on matters like Green Cards.

Train Operating Companies: Licensing

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Office of Rail and Road issued rail operator licences will be invalid in the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

Chris Grayling: As set out in the ‘Rail Transport if there’s no Brexit deal’ technical notice, published by the Government in October 2018, the European Commission has indicated that, in the event of no deal, operator licences issued by the ORR (as the UK’s licensing authority) to operators currently operating in the EU would not remain valid in the EU after EU exit. However, the technical notice also made clear that arrangements for cross-border services would be subject to any bilateral arrangements that the UK negotiates with individual EU countries. On the basis of the productive discussions with relevant member states, we remain confident about concluding appropriate bilateral arrangements so that these mutually-beneficial cross border services continue.

Channel Crossing

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the smooth running of the Eurostar and freight trains travelling between the UK and the EU in the event that no withdrawal agreement is reached with the EU.

Chris Grayling: The Government is actively engaging with a range of European counterparts, including relevant Member States, to secure bilateral arrangements for cross-border rail services for both passengers and freight once the UK leaves the EU to secure the continuation of services. These discussions have been constructive and productive and include consideration of arrangements needed both following the implementation period, as well as preparations for the unlikely event of no deal. The Government is committed to supporting the continued success of the Channel Tunnel, including both passenger and rail freight services that run through it, and we want to see these grow in the future. Doing so is in the mutual interests of both the UK and other EU member states.

Channel Crossing

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the Eurostar and rail freight companies in relation to the EU Commission’s position on the validity of ORR issued rail operating licences within the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Grayling: The UK is committed to ensuring the continued smooth functioning and operation of cross-border rail services through the Channel Tunnel, which is in the mutual interests of both the UK and affected EU Member States. The Government is actively engaging with a range of European counterparts, including relevant Member States, to secure bilateral arrangements for cross-border rail services for both passenger and freight services once the UK leaves the EU. Discussions to date have been productive and we remain confident about concluding appropriate arrangements so that these mutually-beneficial cross-border services continue. The Government is also working closely with cross-border rail operators to ensure they are as prepared as possible for all scenarios, including supporting operators’ preparations to ensure they hold valid licences and certificates to continue operating in the EU in the event of no deal. The Government is also engaging with relevant Member States and regulators to maintain appropriate levels of cooperation, for example on safety and economic matters. These preparations will support the continued smooth operation of services in all scenarios.

Tunnels: Hedgehogs

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many tunnels for hedgehogs his Department constructed under (a) railway lines and (b) roads in each month of the last 24 months for which data is available.

Andrew Jones: Network Rail’s estate is large and varied, and includes railway tunnels, cuttings and bridges, all of which offer habitats for animals to thrive in. Network Rail manages these habitats sensitively in order to encourage biodiversity while ensuring the safety of the railway. They do not hold data on any tunnels under railway lines that may have been specifically built for hedgehogs.Highways England use a range of mitigation measures to reduce any danger to animals in the delivery of their schemes. These include tunnels, culverts, underpasses, adapted farm crossings and species-specific structures. They do these for a range of animals, not specifically for hedgehogs. Appropriate fencing and planting may also be included to encourage use of the crossings and/or to integrate them within the surrounding environment.

British Transport Police: Lancashire

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the financial contributions made by train operating companies running services across West Lancashire to the operations of British Transport Police (a) at stations on those lines and (b) on train service services running between Blackpool and Preston.

Andrew Jones: The level of financial contributions made by train operators is a matter for the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). Railway policing charges are levied by the BTPA using a cost allocation model based on a number of data inputs (including track mileage, crime levels, passenger numbers, number of stations) to determine each train operator’s annual contribution.

British Transport Police: Lancashire

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with British Transport Police on the level of their presence at Blackpool North and Preston stations at (a) peak commuting times, (b) stations from nine pm onwards in the evenings and (c) peak holiday season times on the lines between Blackpool and Preston stations over the last 12 months.

Andrew Jones: Deployment of officers is a matter for the BTP’s Chief Constable. However, BTP manages its resources based on threat, risk and harm assessments. BTP works closely with its rail industry partners and regularly engages with them over matters such as the policing of railway stations.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities with the enforcement of anti-idling legislation.

Jesse Norman: Local Authorities are able to issue fixed penalty notices under The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002. As set out in the Government’s response to the Joint Committee on Air Quality we are modernising the guidance on use of these powers, which will then be re-issued.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Pubs Code

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will carry out a review of the Pubs Code including the attractiveness to tenants of the Market Rent Only option.

Kelly Tolhurst: As required by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will review the operation of the Pubs Code for the period of 20 July 2016 to 31 March 2019. The review will be informed by responses to the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s Market Rent Only (MRO) questionnaire and the 2019 Tenants Survey which asks tenants about MRO offers they have received.

Post Offices

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many Crown Post Offices across the UK are currently not providing post office services.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government recognises the critical role that post offices play in communities and for small businesses across the UK. This is why the Government committed to safeguard the post office network and protect existing rural services. The overall number of post offices across the UK remains at its most stable in decades with over 11,500 branches thanks to significant Government investment of over £2 billion since 2010.While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver this strategy as an independent business. The management of the Crown network is an operational matter for Post Office Limited. Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, will write to the hon Member this matter. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Research: EU Grants and Loans

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to publish detailed information on the mechanism for replacing access to funding from the (a) European Research Council and (b) Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions through the Horizon 2020 scheme for UK research entities in the event that the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019 without a withdrawal agreement.

Chris Skidmore: A ratified deal based on the provisions set out in the Withdrawal Agreement would ensure continued UK participation in EU Programmes, such as Horizon 2020, committed under the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), until the end of the programme and for the lifetime of projects.As a responsible Government, we continue to prepare for a ‘No Deal’ scenario. To this end, the Government has committed to underwrite funding for all successful competitive UK bids submitted to Horizon 2020 before exit. In July 2018 this guarantee was extended to cover all successful competitive UK bids to Horizon 2020 calls open to third country participation from point of exit until the end of 2020. Both the guarantee and extension will apply for the lifetime of qualifying projects.In a no deal scenario the UK would become a third country participant in Horizon 2020 after exit day. Third country participation is a well-established part of Horizon 2020 - entities from third countries currently participate in and lead consortia in a wide range of collaborative programmes. However, third country participation does not extend to the majority of the European Research Council (ERC) grants or some parts of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). We continue to work with stakeholders and Treasury (HMT) to identify appropriate measures that could be put in place in the period immediately after EU Exit, if needed.

Sony: Location

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with Sony on their plans to move their European Headquarters from the UK to the Netherlands.

Richard Harrington: There have been no such discussions with BEIS Ministers and officials. Sony have confirmed that they intend to set up a subsidiary in Amsterdam as part of their EU exit contingency planning. As has been widely reported, this will not result in any jobs being lost in the UK. Department for International Trade teams in the UK and Japan actively promote and support increasing investment and trade between Japan and the UK and will continue to do so after we leave the EU. This was discussed by both Prime Ministers during PM Abe’s recent visit to the UK.

Timber: Enforcement

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of enforcement action by the Office for Product Safety and Standards related to illegally sourced timber in the last two years.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many breaches there have been under the UK’s implementation of the EU Timber Regulation for placing illegal timber products on the UK market in the last two years.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) uses a variety of tools to improve compliance with technical and environmental regulations including those governing trade in timber. A significant amount of this activity is focussed on working with businesses to improve their compliance systems. Where appropriate statutory notices and other formal actions are used and a summary of all those issued by OPSS is published on gov.uk every six months. In the last two years, OPSS has taken two prosecutions and issued 26 notices of remedial action and 37 warning letters under the Timber and Timber Products (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2013.

Employment: Females

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the participation of BAME women in the labour market.

Kelly Tolhurst: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



In October 2018, my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced a package of measures to make the workplace fairer for people from ethnic minorities, including a Race at Work Charter. Developed jointly by the Government and Business in the Community (BITC), the new Race at Work Charter commits businesses to a bold set of principles and actions designed to drive forward a step-change in the recruitment and progression of ethnic minority employees. The Prime Minister also announced a consultation on mandatory ethnicity pay reporting by employers with more than 250 employees, to help tackle burning injustices in society and build a society that works for everyone. The consultation closed on 11 January 2019.

Nuclear Power Stations

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) the recent cancellation of nuclear projects by Hitachi and Toshiba and (b) existing nuclear power stations nearing the end of their lives on the UK's electricity generating capacity and demand in the next ten years; and if he will use that assessment to inform future methods of financing nuclear power stations.

Richard Harrington: This Government is committed to delivering secure electricity supplies to consumers at the lowest possible cost. Wylfa and Moorside were not due to become operational until the late 2020s and there are a range of options for generating this capacity over that time-frame. National Grid has stated that there is no issue with the future security of supply. We are currently reviewing the viability of the Regulated Asset Base model, which will draw on a wide range of evidence.

Financial Reporting Council

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to improve the transparency in the work of the Financial Reporting Council.

Richard Harrington: In April 2018, my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State commissioned Sir John Kingman to lead an independent review of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the terms of reference of which included putting the FRC in a position to stand as a beacon for the best in transparency. Sir John reported on 18 December and made a number of recommendations on improving the transparency of the FRC. The Government welcomes the report and is considering how best to take the recommendations forward.

Post Office: ICT

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Post Offices' Horizon IT system; and if he will make a statement.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many prosecutions the Post Office has made against Sub Post Masters over the Post Offices IT Horizon system; and if he will make a statement.

Kelly Tolhurst: While the Government sets the strategic direction for the Post Office, it allows the company the commercial freedom to deliver its strategy and operate as an independent business. The Horizon IT system and management of the branch network are operational matters for Post Office Limited. Paula Vennells, the Group Chief Executive of Post Office Limited, will write to the hon. Member on these matters. A copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Manufacturing Industries: Digital Technology

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to announce which areas have been selected to be part of the Made Smarter initiative.

Richard Harrington: I am pleased that excellent progress is being made on Made Smarter, the Government’s national industrial digitalisation programme. The Made Smarter Commission, co-chaired by my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Juergen Maier brings together manufacturing leaders from across the sector to agree how UK manufacturing can benefit from the development and adoption of digital technology. The £20m North West pilot will support up to 3,000 manufacturing SMEs to adopt and exploit digital technology. There is a considerable level of interest from SMEs in the North West as well as from other regions. We will work with other regions to share the learning of the North West pilot and consider how the programme could be rolled out. At Autumn Budget, we announced £121m funding for the Made Smarter Digital Manufacturing Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, designed to transform the sector’s productivity. Beneficiaries of this programme, which is subject to a competitive process, will be announced in the coming months.

Fireworks: Regulation

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2019 to Question 210719 on Firework: Regulations, what the timescale for that review of evidence is.

Kelly Tolhurst: Work is already underway to pull together the evidence base, drawing on expertise within the Office for Product Safety and Standards. The timescale will depend upon a number of factors including whether gaps in the evidence are identified and whether it is necessary to commission external research.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Mukhtar Ablyazov

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on legal action against Mukhtar Ablyazov in relation to accusations of international money laundering.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed the case of Mr Ablyazov with the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan. We understand that he is not residing in the UK.

Exclusive Economic Zone

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the requirements of Article 75 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, on what date the United Kingdom registered its declaration of the UK Exclusive Economic Zone with the UN Secretary General.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations deposited the declaration of a United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone pursuant to article 75, paragraph 2, and article 84, paragraph 2, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, at the United Nations on 27 January 2014. The United Nations acknowledged receipt of this declaration in their diplomatic Note dated 4 February 2014 and informed Member States in a Maritime Zone Notification of the same date.

Zimbabwe: Commonwealth

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on Zimbabwe’s application to re-join the Commonwealth.

Harriett Baldwin: It is not for the UK to decide if Zimbabwe is to re-join the Commonwealth as the final decision is for all Commonwealth members. However, in light of the Commonwealth's high standards on human rights, the UK would not currently support an application from Zimbabwe.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Religion

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff of his Department have undertaken the course on religious literacy run by his Department's Diplomatic Academy.

Sir Alan Duncan: Religion and diplomacy is included in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Diplomatic Academy's training module on human rights. So far 181 staff have completed this module, which is mandatory for staff on the FCO fast stream induction programme.The diplomatic academy is not the only way in which staff obtain and expand their religious literacy. The FCO offers a more in-depth two day course on religion and diplomacy. This course, which takes place twice-yearly is attended by 30 to 40 students. The FCO also runs seminars or talks on specific themes or religions. These are open to all staff.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Religion

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for which of his Department's posts is attendance on the religious literacy course run by his Department's Diplomatic Academy a mandatory part of pre-posting training.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​There are no posts for which pre-posting training in religion and diplomacy is mandatory. However, Foundation Level online learning on Religion and Diplomacy is a mandatory component of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) fast stream induction programme. In addition, the FCO course on religion and diplomacy delivered by the London School of Economics is well advertised throughout the FCO and we actively encourage attendance by staff if their job relates to countries in which religion plays a significant part in social and political life.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Government of Venezuela on (a) upholding Article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution and (b) recognising the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó, as the acting president of that country; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: On 24 January in Washington the Foreign Secretary made clear that we no longer regard Mr Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, and Mr Guaido is the man to take Venezuela forward.I attended an emergency debate at the UN Security Council on 26 January and announced we would recognise Mr Guaido as the constitutional interim President if new elections were not called within 8 days (by 4 February).We have not spoken with the Venezuelan Government regarding upholding Article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution, but have made it clear publicly that we expect the terms of the Constitution to be upheld.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Opinion 28/2016 adopted in August 2016 calling for the immediate release by Iran of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is legally binding.

Alistair Burt: ​The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is not a judicial body, and its opinions are not legally binding. However, I would encourage the Iranian authorities to co-operate and engage fully with the UN regarding the conclusions and recommedations of this report.

Julian Assange

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with Ecuadorian officials on the matter of Julian Assange since November 2018; and on what dates those discussions were held.

Sir Alan Duncan: I met the new Ecuadorean Ambassador, Jaime Marchan on 18 December following the presentation of his diplomatic papers. We discussed a range of bilateral topics.

Germany: Thalidomide

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2018 to Question 185531 on Germany: Thalidomide, what progress he has made on making it easier for UK Thalidomide victims to apply for compensation from the Contergan Foundation.

Sir Alan Duncan: On 6 November 2018 I spoke with the German Ambassador to seek his assistance to make it easier for UK Thalidomide Survivors to apply for funding from the Contergan Foundation. He explained that only those who took the drug supplied by Grunenthal directly would be eligible for funding. The German Government do not consider that they have any liability for those who took the drug distributed under licence in the UK. Therefore, very few, if any, UK survivors would be eligible for this compensation.I and UK officials have done all we can to address this issue with the German Government. We will continue to encourage constructive dialogue between the Thalidomide Trust and the German Government to explore what other support may be available.

Leyla Güven

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2019 to Question 206886 on Leyla Guven, when UK Government officials last raised the case of Leyla Güven with the Turkish government; and what assurances the Government it has sought from the Turkish Government on her welfare.

Sir Alan Duncan: Further to my written answer (206886), our Embassy in Ankara raised concerns over the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) hunger strikers, including Leyla Guven, with the Turkish Government earlier this month. They have also discussed the issue with the HDP. They did so most recently on 18 January. We are pleased to note that Leyla Guven was released from detention on 25 January. We expect Turkey to treat hunger striking detainees fairly, and to allow access to medical treatment.

Eritrea: Emigration

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of changes in the level of outward migration from Eritrea since the recent rapprochement with Ethiopia.

Harriett Baldwin: Whilst there are no official or verifiable figures available, there were various reports of a large increase in outward migration from Eritrea to Ethiopia in the weeks following the re-opening of the border. We assess that those reports are credible, but that numbers have now fallen.

Israa al-Ghomgham

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the trial of Israa al-Ghomgham.

Alistair Burt: We are closely monitoring Ms Ghomgham’s case and those of other activists. Diplomats request permission to attend trial sessions and will continue to do so. We continue to raise our concerns on human rights with the Saudi authorities in private.

Chechnya: LGBT People

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Russian counterpart on the ongoing persecution of LGBT+ individuals in Chechnya.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign Secretary and I made clear earlier this month that we are deeply concerned about the recent reports of a renewed wave of persecution of LGBT+ people in Chechnya. Persecution for being LGBT+, in any country in the world, is abhorrent.Following these renewed reports of persecution, the UK Government has worked closely with international partners to communicate to Russia that persecution of LGBT+ people in Chechnya is completely unacceptable. This includes joint statements from the EU Spokesperson, from the EU to the OSCE (the latter of which Russia is a member of) and the Equal Rights Coalition. We have focused on calling out Russia’s lack of a credible investigation, and impunity for the perpetrators of this persecution. We are now working to sustain this strong and united international response.

Venezuela: Politics and Government

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the US on the political situation in Venezuela; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​I spoke with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Venezuela on 26 January. The Foreign Secretary released a statement on Venezuela during a visit to Washington where he discussed the situation with Mr Pompeo and the US Vice President, Mike Pence, on 24 January. We remain in close touch with the US and other partners on the evolving political situation in Venezuela.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Contracts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his Department; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his Department; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department does not directly employ any contracted service providers in the profession listed.The Department leases its offices from other Government departments. Those departments may employ staff either directly or via agencies. Therefore we do not hold this information.

UK Relations with EU

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which the EU has acted in accordance with its principle of sincere co-operation with the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The duty of sincere co-operation obliges Member States and EU institutions to work together to achieve the EU’s objectives. The Government is working constructively with the European Union to deliver an orderly exit and an ambitious future partnership which is in the interests of the UK and the EU.

Health Services

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the health sector on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department engages extensively with the health sector.We meet with industry leaders and groups including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the UK Bioindustry Association to understand their priorities.I regularly meet those from the health and life sciences sector along with supporting industries.Leaving in an orderly way with a deal would provide clarity for the sector, including exploring the possibility of cooperation in the European Medicines Agency.

Department of Health and Social Care

Drugs: Refrigerators

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to Question 205247 on Drugs: refrigerators, what proportion of the (a) ambient storage pallets, (b) refrigerated storage pallets and (c) controlled drug storage pallets purchased as part of the Department's contingency planning in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal were manufactured in the UK.

Stephen Hammond: The Department’s contingency planning is to ask industry to stockpile an additional six weeks’ supply of prescription-only and pharmacy medicines which come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union/European Economic Area, over and above usual buffer stocks. No medicines or pallets have been purchased as part of the contingency planning.

Diseases

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of (a) gout, (b) rickets, (c) cholera, (d) tuberculosis, (e) malnutrition, (f) whooping cough, (g) measles, (h) scurvy, (i) typhoid, (j) scarlet fever, (k) diphtheria, (l) mumps, and (m) vitamin D deficiency have been reported by each NHS Trust since 2015.

Steve Brine: Public Health England publishes data on the number of cases of cholera, tuberculosis, whooping cough, measles, typhoid, scarlet fever, diphtheria and mumps as part of the notifications of infectious diseases data. The data are reported by local authority. Annual data for 2015, 2016 and 2017 are available to view at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/notifiable-diseases-annual-reportAnnual data for 2018 will be published in June 2019.NHS Digital has provided a breakdown of the number of cases of gout, rickets, cholera, malnutrition, scurvy and vitamin D deficiency recorded by hospital provider from 2015-16 to 2017-18. The attached table shows counts of finished admission episodes. Information has been provided for both primary diagnosis and primary or secondary diagnosis. These data only include cases where the diagnosis was treated in a hospital inpatient setting. This should not be described as a count of people as the same person may have been admitted on one or more occasion.



PQ210501 data
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Medical Treatments: Internet

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that online vendors of medical (a) products and (b) treatments to consumers in the UK provide medical evidence that a (i) product and (ii) treatment delivers a clinical benefit; and if he will make a statement.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In the United Kingdom, online vendors of medicines are permitted to sell licensed medicines which have been tested for safety, quality and efficacy. In addition, under provisions in the European Falsified Medicines Directive, Member States have introduced national arrangements to register websites of suppliers of medicines operating online. This has involved the establishment of a national website and the adoption of a common European Union logo. All websites supplying medicines online are required to display the EU logo and provide a hyperlink to the national website of the Member State in which the person offering to sell medicines is established. All medical devices offered for sale, including those offered for sale by online vendors, may only make claims about clinical benefits that are consistent with the clinical evidence available for the device. All but the lowest risk medical devices are subject to scrutiny by third party notified bodies that includes consideration of the medical claims made by a manufacturer of a device and their consistency with the clinical evidence presented. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is the competent authority for regulation of medicines and medical devices and also acts as the law enforcement authority. Any reported breach, or suspected breach, of legal requirements is investigated and relevant action taken. It is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to establish the clinical benefit of any treatment taking account of the needs of the individual patient.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the fair distribution of the recently announced additional £2 billion further funding for mental health; and whether his Department has plans to ensure that Southport benefits from such funding.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January, confirms that mental health will receive a growing share of the National Health Service budget, worth at least a further £2.3 billion a year in real terms by 2023/24. The NHS Long Term Plan commitment to mental health is supported by draft clinical commissioning group allocations which were published on 10 January and include an updated mental health and learning disabilities formula. The Mental Health Investment Standard also requires commissioners to further increase their investment in mental health. NHS England will ensure fair distribution of funding. Additional details, based on local health system five year plans, will be brought together in a detailed national implementation plan in the autumn.

Care Homes: Autism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people with autism in care homes.

Caroline Dinenage: We want autistic people to live healthy, independent lives and to participate in their local communities. This is one of the priorities of the Autism Strategy. To continue to improve outcomes for autistic people, their families and carers, we are launching a comprehensive review of our autism strategy to ensure it remains fit for purpose.Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a statutory duty to provide or arrange services that help prevent people developing needs for care and support or prevent people’s needs escalating, such that they would need ongoing care and support.

Prostate Cancer: Radiotherapy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the new prostate cancer radiotherapy will be available on the NHS.

Steve Brine: The future availability of any new or novel treatments on the National Health Service would be subject to large scale clinical trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment approach and subsequent assessments of its cost effectiveness for routine use.NHS England welcomes the development of new technologies that have the potential to improve clinical outcomes and has established a national process to enable decisions to be made about whether such technologies should be routinely available to patients in England. The document at the following link sets out the process, including how to submit new proposals, which would be the next step in relation to this technique.https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/spec-comm-service-development-policy.pdf

Brain: Tumours

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when MRI-guided thermal laser ablation treatment will be made available on the NHS to tackle brain tumours.

Steve Brine: The future availability of any new or novel treatments on the National Health Service would be subject to large scale clinical trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the treatment approach and subsequent assessments of its cost effectiveness for routine use.NHS England welcomes the development of new technologies that have the potential to improve clinical outcomes and has established a national process to enable decisions to be made about whether such technologies should be routinely available to patients in England. The document at the following link sets out the process, including how to submit new proposals, which would be the next step in relation to MRI-guided thermal laser ablation treatment for brain tumours.https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/spec-comm-service-development-policy.pdf

Eating Disorders

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have been diagnosed with an eating disorder in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The data is not collected in the format requested.

General Practitioners: Waiting Lists

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for GP appointments.

Steve Brine: The Government has committed to ensuring that everyone can see their general practitioner (GP) at a convenient time by increasing the availability of routine appointments in general practice in the evening and at the weekend. By March 2019, all clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should provide extended access to general practice for the whole of their registered population (subject to local demand). This includes ensuring that access is available during peak times of demand, including bank holidays and across the Easter, Christmas and New Year periods. ‘Refreshing NHS plans’, published by NHS England in February 2018, included the deliverable for CCGs to provide extended access to GP services for 100% of their population by October 2018. This was to ensure additional capacity was in place ahead of winter 2018. NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are working together with the profession to increase the GP workforce. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why GPs are leaving the profession, and encourage GPs to return to practice. The number of doctors entering GP speciality training has been increasing year on year. This year, HEE recruited the highest number of GP trainees ever - 3,473 GP trainees against a target of 3,250, a 10% increase on last year. Greater skill mix is also key to releasing capacity in general practice. We have committed to investment in the multidisciplinary workforce in general practice. As of September 2018, there were over 3,700 additional clinical staff, excluding GPs, working in general practice compared to 2015; consisting of over 600 more nurses and 3,000 more other direct patient care staff.

Dementia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote the early diagnosis of dementia.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government’s mandate to NHS England requires NHS England to deliver the actions set out in the Challenge on Dementia 2020 Implementation Plan. The Implementation Plan envisages that:“In every part of the country people with dementia having equal access to diagnosis as for other conditions, with an expectation that the national average for an initial assessment should be 6 weeks following a referral from a GP (where clinically appropriate), and that no one should be waiting several months for an initial assessment of dementia.”

Depressive Illnesses

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to promote eating well to help prevent depression.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) promotes a healthy balanced diet based on the Eatwell Guide for maintaining general health and wellbeing and for reducing the risk of diet-related diseases, such as heart disease. It does this through a variety of communications including the Government’s 5 A Day campaign, PHE’s catering guidance, the Change4Life and One You social marketing campaigns and the NHS.UK website.PHE does not promote any dietary measures specifically to prevent depression as the evidence linking diet and mental health is not strong.PHE’s social marketing campaign ‘One You’ provides tips, tools, support and encouragement to help improve both physical and mental health.

NHS: Waiting Lists

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prioritise the reduction of waiting times in the NHS.

Stephen Hammond: In 2018/19, the Government has provided the National Health Service with an additional £1.6 billion to support and improve accident and emergency and elective care performance. Furthermore, the NHS Long Term Plan has set out how the NHS will develop over the coming years. This will be supported by an extra £20.5 billion a year in real terms by 2023/24. Under the Long Term Plan, the local NHS is being allocated sufficient funds over the next five years to grow the amount of planned surgery year on year, to cut long waits, and reduce the waiting list. In the shorter term, NHS England’s ‘Operational and Planning Guidance for 2019/20’ sets out deliverables against key performance areas, including referral-to-treatment and urgent care, and the Government expects the NHS to deliver these actions set– in full – as key steps towards fully recovering performance against core access standards.

Electromagnetic Fields: Health Hazards

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made on the health-related effects of electromagnetic fields.

Steve Brine: The independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) published a comprehensive evidence review in 2012. The group’s overall conclusion was that although a substantial amount of research has been conducted in this area, there is no convincing evidence that electromagnetic field exposures below guideline levels cause health effects in either adults or children. The guideline levels are those of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, as used in the United Kingdom. Public Health England has committed to keeping emerging evidence under review and preparing another comprehensive review when sufficient new evidence has accumulated. The AGNIR report can be viewed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/radiofrequency-electromagnetic-fields-health-effects

HIV Infection

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2018 to Question 202737 on HIV Infection, when his Department plans to make an announcement on the next steps in reducing new HIV transmissions in England.

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2018 to Question 202737 on HIV Infection, what steps his Department is taking to inform the next steps in reducing new HIV transmissions in England.

Steve Brine: The Department is currently working with Public Health England to consider the next steps in reducing new HIV transmissions in England and will make an announcement very shortly.

Health Services: Rural Areas

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to hold discussions with the National Centre for Rural Health and Care on rural health issues.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) engages with the National Centre for Rural Health and Care (NCRHC) as a partner and provides expert public health advice and information to the centre. PHE promotes the NCRHC’s work through its networks of stakeholders and partners across health and social care organisations and has provided a platform for the work of the NCRHC at national and regional conferences. PHE made specific contribution to the Data and Insight workstream, one of four workstreams prioritised by the NCRHC. In addition, PHE provided Public Health Consultant level support in the initial stages of the set up of the NCRHC. PHE has given evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rural Health and Care, which is supported by the NCRHC. Minutes from this meeting are available to view at the following link:https://www.ncrhc.org/assets/downloads/PIRHC_Session_1a_full_notes.pdf

Health Services: Rural Areas

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the NHS have had with their counterparts in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in relation those administration's policies on tackling rural health inequalities.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Although overall health outcomes are better in rural than urban areas, the Government recognises the specific challenges that rural areas face and the potential for certain health inequalities to develop. The Department continues to take a systematic approach to tackling health inequalities, and is committed to engaging with a range of stakeholders including the devolved administrations; encouraging spread of best practice and considering the wider drivers of ill-health in remote settings. Within England, the NHS Long Term Plan sets out how the National Health Service will develop over the coming years and take stronger action surrounding health inequalities, including eliminating variation in quality of care across the country, building a workforce for the future, and embracing the opportunities of technology for rural communities. NHS England has committed to continuing to ensure a higher share of funding goes towards geographies with high health inequalities than would have been allocated using solely the core needs formulae. This funding is estimated to be worth over £1 billion by 2023/24. All local health systems will be expected to set out during 2019 how they will specifically reduce health inequalities by 2023/24 and 2028/29. These plans will also, for the first time, clearly set out how those clinical commissioning groups benefiting from the health inequalities adjustment are targeting that funding to improve the equity of access and outcomes.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the programme to vaccinate adolescent boys against human papillomavirus will start in September 2019.

Steve Brine: The Department, Public Health England and NHS England are working together to implement the extension of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to boys as quickly and successfully as possible. Planning for the implementation of the extension is well underway with the aim of implementing within the 2019/20 academic year.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of boys who would be eligible to receive the HPV vaccination under a catch-up programme for cohorts since 2008.

Steve Brine: In July 2018, it was announced that the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine will be extended to boys aged 12-13 years in England. It is expected that the HPV vaccination programme will be extended to boys from the 2019/20 school year. This decision is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the independent body that advises United Kingdom health departments on immunisation. It has been decided not to have a catch up programme for older boys as evidence suggests they are already benefitting greatly from the substantial indirect protection (herd protection) which has built up from 10 years of the girls’ HPV vaccination programme. The priority is to implement the routine programme effectively, to ensure that coverage in boys approaches that achieved in girls.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain GPs in (i) Medway, (ii) Kent and (iii) England.

Steve Brine: NHS England and Health Education England (HEE) are working together with the profession to increase the general practitioner (GP) workforce in England. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why GPs are leaving the profession, and encourage GPs to return to practice. The number of doctors entering speciality training has been increasing year on year. Last year, HEE recruited the highest number of GP trainees ever - 3,473 GP trainees against a target of 3,250, a 10% increase on 2017. Alongside training new GPs, there is a broad offer to support GPs to remain in the National Health Service including the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the GP Health Service and the Releasing Time for Care Programme. It is also now quicker and easier for GPs to return to the NHS through the National Induction and Refresher Scheme. Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) has advised that the STP is organised into three training hubs which provide education and workforce strategy groups for each of the regions they cover. The training hubs have prioritised strategies in GP retention, recruitment and developing new models of care which maximise individual, cluster and locality resilience. Some of the initiative being used within the regions include encouraging GPs to develop specialism (GP with Special Interest), mentoring support for newly qualified GPs and facilitating GPs in developing a portfolio career. Medway Clinical Commissioning Group has advised it is working with Local Care Teams to develop new ways of working, including new roles to support GPs and enhance the way they utilise technology to support practices to make the best use of GPs’ time. These new ways of working have included training administrative staff in work flow optimisation freeing up GP time.

Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill (HL)

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has received representations on the potential effect of the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill on the liberty of people living with (a) dementia, (b) brain injuries and (c) learning difficulties.

Caroline Dinenage: Throughout the Bill’s passage through Parliament the Department has consulted with individuals as well as representative organisations for people with dementia, brain injuries and learning difficulties on the potential effect of the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Bill. The Department has also made reference to the written evidence submitted to the Public Bill Committee.The Bill will implement the Law Commission’s reform model, the Liberty Protection Safeguards. The Law Commission spent over three years developing the model during its review, which included wide consultation with a range of stakeholders in England and Wales.

Speech and Language Disorders: Children

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the implications are for his policies of the conclusion in the paper entitled, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017, published by NHS Digital in November 2018 that children with a mental disorder were five times more likely to have speech or language problems.

Jackie Doyle-Price: On 20 December 2018, we announced the first wave of 25 trailblazer sites that will test the plans set out in ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper’, published in December 2017. This set out the Government’s intention to improve provision of support through its three key proposals: creating new Mental Health Support Teams working in and near schools and colleges to support children and young people with mild to moderate mental health conditions; piloting a four-week waiting time for access to specialist National Health Service children’s mental health services; and training Designated Senior Leads in mental health in schools and colleges. Mental Health Support Teams will build on support already in place and work in an integrated way with other professionals such as speech and language therapists, including in support of delivering schools responsibilities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Our aim is to improve earlier identification of mental health needs, including through knowledge of the links between mental health and others such as speech, language and communication needs, to increase access to services and to provide more comprehensive support for the full range of needs of children and young people.

NHS: Finance

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria his Department uses to capture the costs of rurality in allocating NHS funding.

Stephen Hammond: NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted-capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups. This process is independent of Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, a group of academics and other experts. Target allocations include three adjustments that specifically support remote or sparsely populated areas:- an emergency ambulance costs adjustment to reflect longer travel times in sparsely populated areas;- an adjustment to remove from the formula supply induced demand in urban areas where people live close to a hospital; and- an adjustment to support continued provision by hospitals with 24 hours, seven days a week accident and emergency services that are remote from the wider hospital network and have unavoidably higher costs. The tendency for rural populations to be older, is naturally taken into account in the overall formula.

NHS Trusts: Finance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many meetings have taken place between NHS Improvement and NHS trusts to agree plans to improve the financial position of those trusts since 1 April 2018; which NHS trusts have had such meetings with NHS Improvement; and when each such meeting took place.

Stephen Hammond: The information requested is in the attached table. The information relates to formal meetings between NHS Improvement and those National Health Service trusts who are, or were, in financial special measures (FSM) since 1 April 2018. NHS Improvement is in regular contact with FSM providers on a range of issues, not just finance. NHS Improvement also works closely with these trusts in between these formal meetings.



PQ211275 attached table
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Health Professions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of (a) doctors and (b) nurses that completed training (a) no longer work in the NHS and (b) work abroad in the last year for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: Doctors can choose to leave the United Kingdom and work abroad at any point during their training or career. The UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) undertakes an annual survey of doctors in the UK before they complete their two years of foundation training. It shows doctor’s career intentions for immediately after their foundation training. This is the only source of comprehensive data on this subject. The latest UKFPO Careers Destination report can be found at the following link: http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2018-07/2017%20F2%20Career%20Destinations%20Report_0.pdf The results show that, for those not going on to work in the National Health Service immediately after foundation training:- Around 6% of the respondents (400) intended to practice overseas immediately after completing their foundation training. This has decreased from 11-12% in 2015 and 2016.- Around 32% of the respondents (2,200) either:- intended to go onto further study or work as doctors in non-NHS settings (10%);- intended to take a career break (14%);- intended to leave the profession (0.6%); and- were still looking for employment at the time of the survey (7%). Note:Many of the respondents are expected to return to the NHS in the next three years. Published research from the General Medical Council showed that over 88% of the doctors who finished foundation training in 2014 entered the NHS within three years. The Department does not hold data on the number of nursing graduates in England who secured employment as nurses in the NHS. It does not hold data on the numbers who went to work abroad.

NHS: Finance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of NHS and foundation trusts expected to be in deficit at the end of the 2018-19 financial year; and whether the NHS trust sector as a whole is expected to be in deficit at the end of the 2018-19 financial year.

Stephen Hammond: The latest published information, as at Quarter 2 2018-19, forecasted that 111 National Health Service providers would end the year in deficit; with the provider sector overall forecasting a year-end deficit of £558 million.

Infant Foods: Sales

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which infant formulas have been approved for sale in the UK in the last month; and whether these have been notified to infant feeding leads.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department does not approve products for sale in the United Kingdom. However, under The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (England) Regulations 2007, businesses intending to place an infant formula on the market are required to give prior notice to the Secretary of State, and forward a model of the product label. Similar Regulations apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Department has not received any notifications of infant formula in the past month. However, products that may have recently come on the market may have been notified at an earlier date.

Learning Disability: Care Homes

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people with learning disabilities whose care is paid for by the NHS are being cared for in facilities owned by private companies.

Caroline Dinenage: The Assuring Transformation (AT) dataset provides data on the numbers of people with learning disability and/or autism admitted and discharged from mental health hospitals each month. The following table shows patient numbers by provider type, with data taken from the most recent AT publication which uses December 2018 data. Patients by provider type as of December 2018 Number of patients% of patientsNHS Providers1,13049%Independent Providers1,16551% Source: Learning Disability Services Monthly Statistics - Data from the Assuring Transformation Collection, December 2018 (NHS Digital)

Clinical Commissioning Groups: Redundancy

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the public purse has been of staff redundancies in each CCG area since 2013.

Stephen Hammond: The information is not held centrally.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Redundancy Pay

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much each of his Department's non-departmental bodies spent on redundancy payments in each financial year since 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is attached and covers spend for both current and historic non-Departmental public bodies.



PQ212361 attached table
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NHS: Private Sector

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the NHS budget has been spent (a) on contracts awarded to and (b) in all other ways in the private sector since May 2010.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold this information.

NHS: Private Sector

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times (a) he and (b) Ministers and advisers to his Department have met representatives of private healthcare providers since July 2018; on what dates those meetings took place; what the subjects of those meetings were; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: Details of Ministerial and Special Adviser meetings are published quarterly in arrears on the GOV.UK website. The latest publications up to September 2018 are available for Ministers and Advisors respectively at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-2018-to-2019 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dhsc-special-advisers-gifts-hospitality-and-meetings-2018-to-2019

Breast Cancer: Screening

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of missed breast cancer screening appointments by women whose employers have not allowed them to attend during working hours; and if will he make a statement.

Steve Brine: This information is not collected.The NHS Breast Screening Programme offers all women in England who are aged from 50 up until their 71st birthday and registered with a general practitioner or resident in an area are automatically invited for screening every three years. Although in some areas women may be invited from the age of 47 as part of the age extension trial.A timed appointment at a specific screening location and date is offered. If the appointment scheduled is inconvenient, women can telephone to reschedule their appointment. Otherwise, if they do not attend, they will be sent a further timed appointment to attend for screening.

Self-harm: West Midlands

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people under the age of 18 have presented at A&E in need of treatment for self-harm at hospitals in the (a) Greater Birmingham area (b) the west Midlands metro area in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information is not available in the format requested.

Social Services: Consultation Papers

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish social care green paper; and for what reasons the publication has been delayed.

Caroline Dinenage: As an ageing society, we need to reach a longer-term sustainable settlement for social care and we recognise that parliamentary colleagues will wish to engage thoroughly in the debate following publication. The Social Care Green Paper remains a priority for this Government, and the Department is working hard to publish the Green Paper at the earliest opportunity. Given wider events it was not possible to publish the Green Paper by the end of 2018 and, unfortunately, we cannot currently confirm a publication date.

Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to tackle differences in the quality and outcomes of different local authority suicide prevention plans.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has worked in partnership with the local government sector to develop an approach to ensure the effectiveness of local suicide prevention plans. In October 2018, local authorities were invited to complete a self-assessment of their local plans. The self-assessment responses and the local plans are being analysed by an independent researcher and the results will be considered by an expert panel. This process will help to identify areas for improvement for local plans and areas of best practice which can be shared across the local government sector. We will publish a report in the spring with findings and themes, including areas for improvement and learning. The results will also be used to inform a programme of mutual support over the next two to three years to enable local areas to learn from each other and to further develop their plans.

Suicide

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the decrease in the public health grant on the ability of local authorities to implement effective suicide prevention plans.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Local authorities will receive over £3 billion in 2019/20, ring-fenced exclusively for use on public health. Over the five years of the current spending review period we are making over £16 billion of grant funding available to local authorities in England exclusively for use on improving health. Reported spend on public mental health rose from £42.7 million in 2016/17 to £50.5 million in 2017/18, an increase of 18%. We are investing £25 million in suicide prevention over the next three years. The first sustainability and transformation partnership (STPs) received their share of this funding last year. The NHS Long Term Plan set out a commitment to ensure this funding is rolled-out to other STP areas and NHS England is determining the priorities for the second round of funding in 2019/20. Every local authority has a suicide prevention plan in place or in development and we are working in partnership with the local government sector to ensure the effectiveness of those plans. This process will help to identify areas for improvement for local plans and areas of best practice which can be shared across the local government sector. The results will also be used to inform a programme of mutual support over the next two to three years to enable local areas to learn from each other and to further develop their plans.

Mental Health Inter-ministerial Group

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the membership of the inter-ministerial group for mental health is; how often that group meets; and what the dates of the group's last three meetings were.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The inter-ministerial group for mental health (IMG) is led by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and is attended by Secretaries of State and Ministers from a wide range of Government departments (set out below) and other Government departments when required:- Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport;- Department for Work and Pensions;- Department for Education;- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government;- Home Office;- Ministry of Justice;- Ministry of Defence; and- HM Treasury.Officials from the Cabinet Office and No10 are also invited to attend meetings. The group meets on a semi-regular basis and according to significant developments in mental health policy in line with delivering key Government priorities. The last three mental health IMG meetings took place on 12 September 2017, 17 October 2017 and 17 April 2018. Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care attend various other inter-ministerial groups across Government where mental health policy has a key role to play in delivering other Government priorities.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Abortion

Sir William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many unsafe abortions were averted in each country by programmes funded by her Department since 2011; how many unsafe abortions took place in those countries before those programmes started; and if she will publish the methodology used to calculate those statistics.

Harriett Baldwin: This information is not available. It is however possible to model, for illustrative purposes, the number of abortions prevented by improved access to family planning specifically. Between April 2017 and March 2018, we estimate UK aid reached at least 14 million total women and girls with family planning, preventing 1.2 million unsafe abortions.Our methodology is explained in the first footnote to the Family Planning page at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfid-results-sector-pages-2017-to-2018-single-department-plan

Department for International Development: Contracts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for her (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if she will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to her (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID has two Headquarter buildings in the UK, one in East Kilbride and the other in Whitehall.Our cleaning requirements are outsourced to Interserve Facilities Management as part of an Affiliates Cluster arrangement managed by Cabinet Office.All cleaning staff are paid the London Living Wage or the National Living Wage, as appropriate.

Somaliland: Elections

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to the House of Representatives of Somaliland to ensure that the planned 2019 Somaliland parliamentary elections take place.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK remains committed to supporting timely elections in Somaliland. We are leading high level messaging from the international community, and working with the Conflict Security and Stability Fund on improvements in the voter registration system, technical expertise for the national election commission and women’s engagement in the elections.

Developing Countries: Sanitation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her steps her Department is taking to ensure transparency in the support they provide to individual sectors such as water, sanitation and hygiene in cases where it is classified as multi-sector spend.

Penny Mordaunt: We ensure that all programmes use appropriate input sector codes to categorise their expenditure. These codes can be allocated by percentage in the case of multi-sector programmes to allow spend to be attributed to different sectors. The UK’s sector codes are the same as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Credit Reporting System codes to allow comparison between donors. We ensure that all staff involved in project design and implementation have the required training and guidance on how to use the input sector codes.

Department for Education

Children: Day Care

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional financial provision local authorities have received to help implement the Government’s commitment for 30 hours free childcare for working parents.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department is committed to supporting local authorities (LAs) in the delivery of the childcare entitlements, including the new 30 hours free childcare entitlement, and has made significant investment into the offer. We will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019-20 – a record amount. That will include funding for our free early years education entitlements, on which we plan to spend £3.5 billion this year alone. Since 30 hours free childcare was announced, the department has also invested heavily in specific projects to support delivery of the offer at a local level. In 2016, the department made available £100 million in capital funding for which LAs, in partnership with providers, were invited to submit bids. Over 350 projects across 123 LAs were successful in this bid round. Following this, in 2017 the department allocated £2.15 million as part of the Digital Accelerate grant, supporting LAs in the development of their IT systems. And in 2018, £7.7 million in grant funding was allocated to LAs through our Delivery Support Fund. This funding was intending to support LAs during the first year of delivery of 30 hours and allowed LAs to undertake projects that directly benefit 30 hours’ delivery and created (directly or indirectly) 30 hours places. In addition to specific funding, LAs continue to receive support directly from departmental officials and through our delivery partners, Childcare Works, who provide a package of universal and targeted support to ensure LAs are best placed to deliver the government’s childcare offers.

Social Workers: Career Development

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities have participated in the National Assessment and Accreditation Scheme for Social Workers.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many social workers have volunteered to participate in the National Assessment and Accreditation Scheme for Social Workers.

Nadhim Zahawi: Between December 2015 and December 2018, 35 local authorities participated in the National Assessment and Accreditation Scheme (NAAS) for child and family social workers. 22 of these participated in the proof of concept stage, 15 participated in Phase 1 and 2 participated in both. This programme is live and ongoing, and local authority participation numbers will continue to increase. Between December 2015 and December 2018, 1,252 child and family social workers participated in the NAAS. 954 social workers participated in the proof of concept stage, 278 social workers volunteered to participate in the current system to undertake the assessment. 200 social workers were involved in creating the assessment itself. This programme is live and ongoing, and child and family social worker participation numbers will continue to increase.

Free School Meals: Working Tax Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the potential additional cost to the public purse of extending free school meals to households in receipt of working tax credit who meet the income threshold currently used to determine eligibility for households not in receipt of working tax credit.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending free school meal eligibility to children in households in receipt of working tax credit.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are ineligible for free school meals as a result of their household, meeting the income threshold but is in receipt of working tax credit.

Nadhim Zahawi: We do not routinely collect or publish data on families in receipt of working tax credit with earnings below the threshold for free school meals eligibility,The department does not have any plans to extend free school meals entitlement to families in receipt of working tax credit and therefore have not made an assessment of the potential additional costs or benefits of extending free school meals to those households in receipt of working tax credit who meet the earned income threshold.​Working tax credit, alongside other legacy benefits are being phased out and replaced by Universal Credit. As families move from working tax credit onto Universal Credit, those with incomes below the earned income threshold of £7,400 per annum will benefit through becoming eligible to receive free school meals.

National FGM Centre

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National FGM Centre.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has for the funding arrangements of the National FGM Centre after 2020.

Nadhim Zahawi: In July 2017, the department made over £1.6 million available from our Innovation Programme to Barnardo’s to run the National FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) Centre for three years. The proportion of the centre’s costs to be paid by the department reduces year by year, with the centre to be self-sustaining from April 2020. The University of Bedfordshire is evaluating the centre and the evaluation is due to be completed by July this year.

Technicians: Recruitment

Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to increase the supply of laboratory scientist technicians.

Anne Milton: The government wants to encourage more students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and training at all stages from primary school to higher education, which will equip people with the skills needed for such roles. We are investing an additional £406 million in skills, including maths and digital. This includes the Advanced Maths Premium and an £84 million programme to improve the teaching of computing.It is crucial we encourage more young people to consider STEM careers, including careers such as laboratory scientist technicians. We have committed to improving STEM careers advice in schools in the government’s careers strategy which ensures that STEM encounters, such as with employers and apprenticeships, are built into school career programmes by updating school and college statutory guidance.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy also funds a number of programmes that aim to inspire more young people to study science subjects, such as the STEM Ambassadors programme, and the CREST awards, which engage students in STEM-related projects.T levels will also provide alternative routes into laboratory and science technical careers. T levels will be a new gold-standard in technical education, providing a distinctive and rigorous alternative to A levels and apprenticeships. T level panels of employers are defining the outline content for the new programmes and we recently announced that T levels in the Health and Science route, which includes Laboratory Sciences, will be taught by selected providers from 2021.Apprenticeships are available in the sector across a range of levels including Laboratory scientist (degree); Laboratory scientist Level 5; and Laboratory technician Level 3. These standards are being developed by employer groups, including groups in the health and science sector such as Pfizer, GSK, Astra Zeneca, Sterling Pharma Solutions, 3M. A full list of standards is available on the Institute for Apprenticeships’ website at https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/.To stimulate apprenticeships growth across all sectors, we are first and foremost ensuring that apprenticeships are a quality product recognised by individuals and employers – setting individuals on a path to a to great career and providing employers with the home-grown skills they need to grow their businesses and increase productivity.We are also currently carrying out a review of higher technical education, looking at how level 4 and 5 classroom based technical education meets the needs of learners and employers. This forms part of our commitment to support routes to higher-earning technical roles and address the skills needs of the economy. Our ambition is to reform higher level technical education so that it delivers the skills employers and the economy need and offers attractive routes to higher earning technical roles. We also intend to establish a system of employer-led national standards for higher technical education.

Special Educational Needs: Ethnic Groups

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children with Educational, Health and Social Care plans are from (a) Black, (b) Asian and (c) Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

Nadhim Zahawi: The proportions of children with education, health and care plans from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are given in the attached table. 



210658_children_with_education_health_care_plans
(Word Document, 52 KB)

Children: Social Mobility

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect of the Every Child Matters programme on social mobility.

Nadhim Zahawi: Every Child Matters refers to a 2003 green paper that sets out a high-level approach to improving children’s and young people’s wellbeing. The department, including under previous administrations, has not conducted a separate assessment of its impact on social mobility. However, research and evaluations of a range of programmes and policies proposed in Every Child Matters are published on GOV.UK and relevant national archive sites, for example: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090810165308/http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/research/.Social mobility remains one of this government’s top priorities. We strongly believe that everyone should have the chance to fulfil their potential, and where you start in life should not determine future success. Since 2010 we have transformed opportunities for young people, including more children who are in good and outstanding schools. We’re targeting extra support at the poorest areas of the country to raise standards in schools and attract great teachers, and more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university.

Mental Health Services: Training

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the training for designated senior leads for mental health includes training in awareness of speech, language and communication needs and their links to mental health.

Nick Gibb: The role of the Designated Senior Leads for Mental Health in schools will be to take a strategic overview of a school or college’s approach to children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Department is currently working towards a procurement of training for Designated Senior Leads, to be provided from the 2019/20 academic year. This will set out the broad areas that the training should cover to enable leads to put in place whole school approaches that incorporate the promotion of good mental wellbeing and resilience amongst pupils and staff. Where a school puts a lead in place, their role should complement existing statutory roles, including the Special Educational Needs coordinator to ensure that all pupils get the right support to meet their needs.To increase support, the Government is also funding new Mental Health Support Teams working in or near schools. The teams will include a new trained workforce which can provide treatment and support to help reduce mental health problems worsening or developing in the first place. These new teams will be tested in ‘trailblazer’ areas from January 2019.

Children: Communication

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to (a) identify and (b) tackle children’s communication difficulties under its Children in Need policy.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government is committed to ensuring that children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) get the support they need to lead safe, fulfilling lives and to reach their potential.The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice makes clear that local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and relevant others are responsible for commissioning specialist support locally using their high needs funding budgets. This includes support for SLCN. We have given an additional £250 million to high needs funding across 2018-19 and 2019-20 to help them fulfil these duties, on top of the £6 billion already provided for the high needs budget. Local authorities are required to develop and publish their local SEND offer based on an analysis of local need and we expect details of services for SLCN, including how they can be accessed, to be included. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has set out his ambition to halve the 28% of children who finish their reception year without the early communication and reading skills they need to thrive by 2028. The Department for Education is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England to support health visitors and early years practitioners to identify and support children’s early SLCN. We are investing £26 million to set up a network of English hubs, £20 million to provide professional development for early years practitioners, and £7.5 million to understand what works in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation. We are investing £6.5 million in voluntary and charity sector grants supporting the home learning environment. Where children are at risk of harm, it is particularly important that they are supported to communicate their needs. The statutory guidance 'Working together to safeguard children' (2018) is clear that special provision should be put in place to support dialogue with children who have communication difficulties. This child-centred approach is supported by the Children Act (1989) and emphasised further in the interim findings of the children in need review.

Department for Education: Contracts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Anne Milton: Cleaning services in buildings managed by the department are undertaken by outsourced providers, OCS and Sodexo, as part of large facilities management service contracts. The cleaning of Cheylesmore House, occupied by the Standards and Testing Agency and the Teaching Regulation Agency, is undertaken by Engie.A list of all services delivered by third party contractors to the department is not held in a centralised location and the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Rates of pay for people working for third party contractors are determined by their respective employers and not held by the department. All outsourced providers are required to pay, as a minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.

Home Education: Standards

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that children in home education placements have a high standard of education and care.

Anne Milton: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



The government supports the right of parents to educate their children at home, and many families do this well, taking on a very significant responsibility in doing so. Local authorities are responsible for identifying any children who are not receiving a suitable education and taking steps to remedy that situation, if necessary, by enforcing school attendance.We want to make sure that every child receives a good education. In some cases, the government is concerned about the quality of education which some children are receiving at home, especially in the context of the increasing numbers of children who are being removed from school to be educated at home.As a result, the government consulted in 2018 on revised guidance for local authorities and parents on home education. The finalised versions of this guidance will be published shortly. At the same time, a call for evidence on the issues of registration and monitoring of children educated at home, and support for home educating families, was held, and a government response document setting out proposed next steps will also be published soon.

16-19 Bursary Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of current funding for the 16 to 19 bursary.

Anne Milton: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



The department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds to help with the education-related costs associated with staying in post-16 education. The 16-19 Bursary Fund is the principal scheme. Under the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, young people are eligible for awards of up to £1,200 per year (in particular, vulnerable groups that generally do not receive financial support from their families). Those not in these particular vulnerable groups, but who still need financial support, can apply to their education institution for discretionary bursary support. Each institution receives an allocation to make available these discretionary bursaries.The department spoke with a sample of schools, colleges and other 16-19 education providers in 2018 to help us understand how the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund was being used and to assess the extent to which discretionary bursary allocations met the needs of students in the different institutions. Providers were using the available funds to support their most disadvantaged students, but there were different responses on the adequacy of funding. We are continuing to keep the use of the fund under review to inform our understanding of whether it is providing effective support to our most economically disadvantaged students.With regard to its effectiveness in promoting social mobility, providers have the flexibility to target those young people in most need of financial support to stay on in further education and training. This flexibility helps to ensure that the poorest students get the same opportunities available to those with more financial support, for example, by purchasing equipment for technical courses, taking part in trips, purchasing books, participating in industry placements and getting support with UCAS fees. The majority of providers that the department spoke to in 2018 confirmed that this funding was making a significant impact on the ability of young people to access opportunities.

16-19 Bursary Fund: Social Mobility

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 16 - 19 bursary in promoting social mobility.

Anne Milton: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



The department provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds to help with the education-related costs associated with staying in post-16 education. The 16-19 Bursary Fund is the principal scheme. Under the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund, young people are eligible for awards of up to £1,200 per year (in particular, vulnerable groups that generally do not receive financial support from their families). Those not in these particular vulnerable groups, but who still need financial support, can apply to their education institution for discretionary bursary support. Each institution receives an allocation to make available these discretionary bursaries.The department spoke with a sample of schools, colleges and other 16-19 education providers in 2018 to help us understand how the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund was being used and to assess the extent to which discretionary bursary allocations met the needs of students in the different institutions. Providers were using the available funds to support their most disadvantaged students, but there were different responses on the adequacy of funding. We are continuing to keep the use of the fund under review to inform our understanding of whether it is providing effective support to our most economically disadvantaged students.With regard to its effectiveness in promoting social mobility, providers have the flexibility to target those young people in most need of financial support to stay on in further education and training. This flexibility helps to ensure that the poorest students get the same opportunities available to those with more financial support, for example, by purchasing equipment for technical courses, taking part in trips, purchasing books, participating in industry placements and getting support with UCAS fees. The majority of providers that the department spoke to in 2018 confirmed that this funding was making a significant impact on the ability of young people to access opportunities.

Children: Social Services

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost has been of setting up the What Works Centre to date.

Nadhim Zahawi: In October 2017, 2 contracts were awarded by Department for Education to establish the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care. A consortium led by NESTA was awarded the contract for an ‘incubator’ and Cardiff University was awarded the ‘research partner’ role. The contracts have a total value of £9.8 million and will run until March 2020. In November 2018 the research partner’s contract was extended by up to £2.4 million in order to support the implementation of a number of projects in 6 local authorities. This money is exclusively for those local authorities to implement and manage the projects with the management costs for Cardiff absorbed into their existing contract.

Children: Social Services

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the money disbursed from the budget of her Department's Children's Social Care Innovation Programme has been allocated to organisations in the (a) public, (b) private and (c) voluntary sectors in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: Launched in 2013, the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme has invested in 98 projects across three funding rounds (2014-2020).We have allocated £106.36 million to the public sector, £22.64 million to the private sector and £86.02 million to the voluntary sector.

Social Services: Training

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on the (a) consultation on (b) preparation for and (c) introduction of the National Assessment and Accreditation Systems for social workers, social work supervisors and leaders.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the funding allocated to the consultation on the National Assessment and Accreditation System was spent on (a) private sector consultants and (b) local authorities.

Nadhim Zahawi: In total the government has spent £8.7 million on the consultation, preparation and the introduction of the National Assessment and Accreditation System (NAAS) for child and family social workers. These costs can be further broken down into £4.6 million in preparation costs, which includes money spent on the proof of concept phase, the preparation of assessment materials and standard setting. A further £4.1 million was spent up until June 2018 on the introduction of assessments. Of this, £3.5 million has been in spent in grants made to local authorities to support children’s services departments and individual social workers to prepare for the assessment. The department has spent no funds on consultation. The consultation and program development of the NAAS has been resourced directly by the civil service who have engaged widely with both local authorities and individual social workers.

Foster Care

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's guidance entitled Staying put: arrangements for care leavers aged 18 years and above, what the annual cost to the public purse is of Staying put.

Nick Gibb: ​Since its introduction in May 2014, the department has provided over £90 million in funding to local authorities to implement Staying Put, and the department has also committed to provide a further £23.77m in 2019/20. The funding breakdown for each year is set out in the table below:2014/15£7.4 million2015/16£14.8 million2016/17£22.2 million2017/18£22.85 million2018/19£23.3 million2019/20£23.77 millionTotal£114.32 million Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.The department collects information on the amount that local authorities spend on children’s social care overall, but this does not identify expenditure on Staying Put separately, so DfE does not hold the information necessary to estimate the total cost of Staying Put to the public purse.

Children in Care: Housing

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds in the care system are placed in suitable accommodation.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the viability of the current regulation of independent living arrangements for young people in the care system.

Nick Gibb: The majority of children in care aged 16 or 17 are either placed in foster care or live in a children’s home, both of which are regulated by Ofsted. However, the Children Act (1989) allows local authorities to use ‘other accommodation’ (such as supported lodgings; semi-independent accommodation; hostels; or foyers), if the local authority judges that the young person’s needs will best be met by this type of placement. In many cases, semi-independent accommodation provides an effective way for young people preparing to or leaving care to make a gradual transition to independence instead of placing them straight into an independent tenancy. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning a range of accommodation that meets the needs of young people in or leaving care and must ensure that accommodation used to house them is ‘suitable’. ‘Suitable accommodation’ is defined in Chapter 7 of the Children Act (1989) Volume 3 statutory guidance, which can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf. ​The government ensures that local authorities are held to account for the quality of the accommodation they provide to care leavers through Ofsted inspections of children’s services and challenge poor practices when identified by Ofsted.

Children in Care

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has made to support local authorities with the number of young people entering the care system.

Nadhim Zahawi: At Autumn Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an extra £410 million to address pressures on social care services, along with £84 million over five years to support up to 20 local authorities to improve their social work practice and decision-making, enabling them to work more effectively with the most vulnerable children and their families.This builds on the £200 billion government has already made available to councils up to 2020 to provide services in the best interests of local residents, including those for children and young people.In residential care we are investing part of our £200 million children’s social care innovation programme to three projects to increase councils’ capacity and ensure more young people can be matched to the right care placement. We have also recently provided grant funding to three local authorities to conduct feasibility studies into opening new secure provision to increase available capacity and continue to invest in the secure estate through our £40 million capital programme.We will shortly be providing seed funding to fostering partnerships to increase sufficiency of foster parents. As part of our digital discovery, we are exploring whether, and how, digital solutions could help give a more accurate picture of fostering capacity both locally and nationally, to drive targeted recruitment and improve streamline vacancy management.We know that local authorities have experienced an increase in the numbers of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who have particular care needs. That is why, in the 2017 UASC safeguarding strategy, we committed to providing 1,000 training places for foster carers and support workers who care for UASC. We commissioned the Refugee Council to deliver this training across England and training is now underway across the country.

English Baccalaureate: Disadvantaged

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of disadvantaged students who leave secondary education having completed the English Baccalaureate.

Nick Gibb: The revised GCSE performance tables[1], published on 24 January 2019, show that in 2018 26.4% of disadvantaged pupils were entered for the EBacc, the highest this figure has been since the measure was introduced in 2010. In 2011, just 8.6% of disadvantaged pupils were entered for the EBacc subject combination. An increase has also been seen this year in EBacc attainment amongst disadvantaged pupils. The gap between EBacc entry for disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers has closed by 1.2 percentage points since 2017. Schools such as Dixons Trinity Academy (which is in an area of high disadvantage) lead the way. They entered 86% of their pupils for the EBacc in 2018.Overall, however, disadvantaged pupils remain less likely to be entered for the EBacc subjects as their non-disadvantaged peers, and the gap in EBacc subject entry persists, even among the most academically able disadvantaged pupils. The Department has said that it would like to see 90% of year 10 pupils starting to study GCSEs in the EBacc combination of subjects by 2025. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised.

Students: Mental Health

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the mental health and well-being of postgraduate students in universities.

Chris Skidmore: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Teachers: Pensions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons his Department’s consultation includes proposals to support state schools and further education colleges but not higher education institutions with additional costs related to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of the number of prisoners serving life sentences in (a) the UK (b) EU countries; and if he will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: I have not made any such assessment. Life sentences are reserved for only the most serious offending.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to lay an amended Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme before the House during the current Parliamentary session.

Edward Argar: It is my intention to lay an amended Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 before the House as soon as Parliamentary time allows. This will remove the pre-1979 same roof rule and enable victims whose applications for compensation had previously been refused under this rule, to reapply.

Ministry of Justice: Disability

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff in his Department including those employed in executive agencies and non-ministerial Departments declared a disability in 2017-18.

Edward Argar: As at 31st March 2018, 9% of MoJ Staff were declared disabled. This is calculated as the number of staff who have declared themselves as disabled divided by all those who made a declaration (excluding those who answered Prefer Not to Say and those whose status is not known). This includes MoJ HQ, LAA, CICA, OPG, HMCTS and HMPPS. This information will be included in the Workforce Monitoring Report which is due to be published on 31 January.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service: ICT

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many courts were affected by the reported recent failure of digital infrastructure at HM Courts and Tribunals Service in (a) London, (b) the Midlands (c) North West England, (d) North East England and (e) Wales.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



The recent disruption to IT systems intermittently affected all 362 HMCTS Court and Tribunal sites across England and Wales. Connectivity has been restored across the Ministry of Justice estate. I want to apologise to those who were affected by the intermittent disruption last week. Services continued to operate, and court hearings continued, but I know how frustrating this was for anyone affected. I am very grateful to HM Courts and Tribunals staff who put in place contingency plans to make sure trials went ahead as planned and for staff who have worked tirelessly and around the clock to resolve these issues alongside our suppliers.

Prison Sentences: Nottinghamshire

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2019 to Question 20986, how many prisoners were given custodial sentences in Nottinghamshire in each year since 2015.

Rory Stewart: Data on the number of offenders sentenced to custody in Nottinghamshire in each year since 2015 has been published up to December 2017 and is available in the “Court Outcomes by Police Force Area data tool” at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2017 To obtain the requested data:Ensure that the ‘Court Type’ filter is set to “All”Select “15: Immediate Custody” in the ‘Outcome’ filterFigures for Nottinghamshire can be found in row 71. Data for 2018 is due to be published in May 2019.

Prisons: Fires

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many fires occurred in prisons in each of the last three years.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been charged with arson following the setting of fires in prisons in each of the last three years.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions there have been for arson following the setting of fires in prisons in each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: We will never compromise on the safety of those in our care, and staff are trained to respond to emergency situations in a timely, appropriate manner. The Government is taking unprecedented action to improve safety in custody. This includes investing in over 4,300 additional staff since October 2015 and investing an extra £70 million to improve safety, security and decency.The table below provides the numbers of all fires in prison over the last 3 years. It shows a fall in the number of fires in 2018, which coincides with the implementation of smoke free prisons, a reduction in the prison population and our actions to improve safety in custody.The definition of fire incidents is not reserved for deliberate acts of arson; it also covers a wide range of circumstances including accidental fires. Although the Fire Service routinely attend fire incidents in prisons, the majority are relatively minor in their nature.YearNumber of firesReduction as a percentage of previous year’s total20162,314N/A20172,2871.2%20181,51750.1%We do not hold the number of prisoners charged and prosecuted for arson centrally and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Department for International Trade

Trade Remedies

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether decisions of the Trade Remedies Authority on the imposition of a trade defence measure will take effect immediately or within a specified number of days.

George Hollingbery: The Trade Remedies Authority will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Trade on the imposition of measures. The Secretary of State will take a decision whether to accept or reject the recommendation. Where the Secretary of State accepts the TRA’s recommendation, he will publish a notice in accordance with section 13 of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018. The notice will specify that the measure comes into force the day following its publication.

Department for International Trade: Departmental Responsibilities

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, on (a) how many occasions and (b) what dates the Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser has met (i) the Prime Minister’s Europe Adviser and (ii) the Prime Minister in the last 12 months.

George Hollingbery: The Chief Negotiation Adviser’s role is to lead on trade negotiation and strategy, at the Department for International Trade. He advises my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade on trade agreements and market access deals with the UK’s global trading partners. The negotiation with the EU regarding the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration is the responsibility of the Prime Minister’s Europe Adviser. The Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser has had one 1:1 meeting with the Prime Minister’s Europe Adviser in the last 12 months. He has had no 1:1 meetings with the Prime Minister in the last 12 months, but has had two meetings with her accompanied by the Secretary of State for International Trade and others in the last 12 months.

Department for International Trade: Contracts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his Department; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his Department; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Graham Stuart: Cleaning services in buildings managed by the Department for International Trade (55 Whitehall and 3 Whitehall Place) are provided by the Ministry of Justice under contracts they hold for facilities management. The MOJ have confirmed that all cleaning staff (from their supplier OCS) are currently paid at least the London Living Wage. Where the Department for International Trade is a tenant in buildings belonging to other Government departments, this information is not held. A list of all services delivered by third party contractors to the Department is not held in a centralised location and the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those published since 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search. Rates of pay for people working for third party contractors are determined by their respective employers and is not held by the Department. All outsourced providers are required to pay as a minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.

Department for International Trade: Staff

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the corrected Answer of 22 January 2019 to Question 206251, how many civil servants in his Department were working part or full-time on projects in the Government Major Projects Portfolio in (a) June 2016 and (b) December 2018.

George Hollingbery: No Departmental projects have been included within the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) since it was founded on 14 July 2016. As such, no civil servants were working on GMPP projects on the dates referred to.

Foreign Relations: Cuba

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with his Cuban counterpart.

Graham Stuart: During the recent high level and historic visit led by the Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to London in November 2018, the Secretary of State for International Trade met with the Cuban Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz to discuss Cuba’s trade and investment plans, and the trading relationship between the UK and Cuba.

Export Controls: ICT

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the (a) dates, (b) end users and (c) licence types were for (i) approved and (ii) denied applications for Internet Protocol network communications (A) surveillance systems and (B) equipment coded 5A001J in the UK Strategic Export Control List.

Graham Stuart: The following licences (all Standard Individual Export Licences or SIELs) have been granted:Application TypeOutcomeEnd User TypeEnd Use  CountriesAnnual Report SummaryFinalisedSIEL (Temporary)IssueCommercialCzech Republicinternet protocol network communications surveillance equipment11/05/2016SIEL (Temporary)IssueCommercialUnited Statescomponents for internet protocol network communications surveillance equipment10/03/2016SIEL (Permanent)IssueGovernmentSingaporeinternet protocol network communications surveillance equipment24/02/2016SIEL (Permanent)IssueGovernment / Law EnforcementUnited Arab Emiratesinternet protocol network communications surveillance equipment07/07/2015 No licence applications were refused. The table includes the end user types but I am withholding the actual names of the end users as disclosure would prejudice commercial interests. Temporary licences are granted with conditions to return the items licensed within the period of the validity of the licence, usually twelve months. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.

Overseas Trade: Cuba

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to support British companies that trade with Cuba in the event of the United States lifting the suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton legislation.

George Hollingbery: We oppose the US embargo on the grounds of its damaging impact on the Cuban economy, its counterproductive effect in achieving positive change in Cuba, and the negative extra-territorial effects that it has on UK business. We oppose any possible tightening in the future for these reasons.The EU and UK have already passed legislation – the EU Regulation 2271/96 (“The EU Blocking Regulation”) and the Extraterritorial US Legislation (Sanctions against Cuba, Iran and Libya) (Protection of Trading Interests) Order 1996 that makes it illegal to comply with the extraterritorial effects of the embargo. We will continue to work together with our EU partners to provide UK companies with the support they need to be able to trade with Cuba. Officials in London and the British Embassy in Havana provide a range of bespoke assistance to companies and regularly raise our objections to trade restrictions on Cuba with US counterparts.

BAE Systems: Saudi Arabia

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January to Question 210049 on Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia, what the dates were of the three compliance audits in relation to Open Individual Export Licences granted to BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd for which Saudi Arabia was the end user.

Graham Stuart: The compliance visit dates were, 17 July 2014, 30 September 2015 and 05 April 2017.

Lamb: Australia

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Australia on increasing the quota of lamb exports to the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: Neither the Secretary of State for International Trade nor his officials have discussed with their Australian counterparts the increasing of an Australian lamb quota in the event of a no deal.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

*No heading*

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many responses the Government received from leaseholders in response to the Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market consultation.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government's consultation 'Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market' ran for eight weeks from 25 July to 19 September 2017. The consultation received 6,075 responses; 5,701 via an online survey and 374 via email and post. Of those responding to the online survey providing background information, 5,336 respondents said they were private individuals, of which 2,790 answered a follow up question confirming they were a leaseholder living in a house, with 1,699 confirming they were a leaseholder living in a flat and 431 identifying themselves as a freeholder. 332 respondents identified themselves as replying to the consultation on behalf of an organisation.A full breakdown of responses by type and question can be found at Annex A of the Government response, published on 21 December 2017 available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tackling-unfair-practices-in-the-leasehold-market.The Government also ran a separate technical consultation, ‘Implementing reforms to the leasehold system’ during 15 October 2018 to 26 November 2018, and is still analysing the responses. As part of our consultation questions we did not ask the respondent to identify whether they were a leaseholder. However, we received 1030 responses which were completed as personal views.

Leasehold

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met with  property development companies during the consultation entitled Tackling Unfair Practices in the Leasehold Market.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government's consultation 'Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market' ran for eight weeks from 25 July to 19 September 2017, and the response was published on 21 December 2017.During that period, the then Secretary of State met Long Harbour and the Home Builders Federation and had discussions on the use of open-ended ground rent arrangements on new build leasehold properties. In addition, the then Minister of State for Housing, met the Building Societies Association to have similar discussions.The Government also ran a separate consultation, ‘Implementing reforms to the leasehold system’ during 15 October 2018 to 26 November 2018 and is still analysing the responses.During this period, the Housing Minister met the Home Builders’ Federation on 5 November 2018 to discuss leasehold reforms. On 8 November 2018, the Secretary of State held a round table with developers and investors, setting out his concerns regarding onerous ground rents and the lack of redress for existing leaseholders. The answer to question UIN189727 of 19 November 2018 details the attendees of the round table.A full list of ministerial meetings up until 30 September 2018 is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-ministerial-data and is updated regularly.

Social Services: Children

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding local authorities receive to deliver children’s services.

Rishi Sunak: Funding for local government services, including children’s services, is set at the Spending Review. The Chancellor has announced that the next Spending Review will be this year, and decisions about the future funding of local government will be taken in the round.We are working with the Department for Education (DfE) and the sector to develop an understanding of children’s services costs and pressures, and to help local authorities innovate and reform services to achieve better quality and efficiency.In preparation for the Spending Review, and as part of the Government’s review of relative needs and resources, new, up-to-date formulas are being developed to ensure funding distribution to councils is based on the best available evidence. DfE and MHCLG have commissioned an ambitious data research project from independent contractors to inform this work.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Labour Turnover

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Institute for Government report of January 2019 entitled Moving On: The costs of high staff turnover in the civil service, for what reasons his Department has the second highest proportion of staff who left compared to other Departments in 2017-18.

James Brokenshire: In 2017-18 374 departmental staff moved on under the Institute for Government definition of ‘turnover’. Staff who have left a specific Department for a period of non-permanent interchange are included in this measure.The report published by the Institute for Government highlights that staff are moving between Departments more frequently. This type of movement is prevalent in the Department where almost 60 per cent of leavers during 2017-18 moved between Departments and not out of the Civil Service permanently. The table shown below details the total number of people leaving the Department during 2017-18 and the basis on which they left.MHCLG Leavers in Period2017/18as %Retirement, Resignation, Dismissal* and other Exits**13035%End of Contract246%Permanent Transfer to Other Department14639%End of Inward Loan339%Outward Loan to Other Department4111%Total374100%This Department and the Civil Service offer varied and exciting career opportunities, and we aim to empower people to construct career plans at each stage of their working life. It is a positive step that colleagues experience different parts of the Civil Service and we become a more permeable organisation; facilitating the exchange of skills, experience and knowledge.The Department has also greatly benefitted from the Civil Service workforce model and experience of people joining from other Departments, with over 200 of appointments made during 2017-18 being made on either a permanent transfer or loan basis.The Department is unable to make further comment on its position relative to other Departments as the number of officials leaving each Department, and on what basis, is not presented in the report’s findings.*The number of dismissals in each year is too small to disclose and as such is presented alongside those resigning from the Department and retiring from work**Other Exits includes people leaving under voluntary exit arrangements

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund prioritises regions experiencing the highest levels of economic hardship.

Jake Berry: As announced in the written ministerial statement on 24 July 2018, HCWS927, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will tackle inequalities between communities by raising productivity, especially in those parts of our country whose economies are furthest behind.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Injuries

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service inquiries have been conducted when a serious injury has occurred on training exercise or selection event between 2013-2019;  and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what processes exits within his Department has put in place to ensure that the recommendations of service inquires are implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) serious injuries and (b) deaths have occurred in training or selection events across all three armed services since 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: In the period from 1 January 2013 to 31 August 2018 a total of 29 deaths among UK Armed Forces personnel occurred whilst on training or exercise. The Ministry of Defence publishes Official Statistics on this matter at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/training-and-exercise-deaths-in-the-uk-armed-forces-2018. In the period from 1 January 2013 to 30 September 2018, 7,828 UK Armed Forces personnel were involved in 8,732 incidents resulting in serious injuries whilst on training or exercise. This figure includes both specified injuries and serious injuries (as defined by the Health & Safety Executive) and, both very serious injuries and serious injuries (as reported through the Notification of Casualties system). In the period from 1 January 2013 to 24 January 2019, one Service Inquiry (SI) was convened solely for the purpose of investigating a serious injury occurring during a training exercise or selection event, where there were no fatalities. The circumstances resulting in a serious injury, without fatality, are unlikely to justify an SI. Where necessary, lessons may be learned without the need for an SI. JSP 832 (Guide to Service Inquiries) sets out the policy on when an SI should be convened. The current version of JSP 832 can be found at the following address: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/service-inquiry-si. The Director General of the Defence Safety Authority (DG DSA) is the primary Convening Authority for all safety related SIs. All recommendations are allocated to a recommendation owner and are closed by DG DSA only when he is presented with sufficient evidence that all reasonable measures to implement the changes required have been taken.

Armed Forces: Death

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what diseases were involved in the 27 disease-related deaths within the armed forces between 2000-2018 during exercises and training events; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Of the 27 disease-related deaths which occurred in the UK Armed Forces whilst on training or exercise from 1 January 2000 to 31 August 2018, 23 deaths were due to conditions of the circulatory system, two deaths were due to conditions of the respiratory system, one death was due to a condition of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, and one death was due to a condition of the digestive system.

HMS Queen Elizabeth: Belfast Lough

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which locations in Belfast lough are suitable for berthing HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of HMS Queen Elizabeth visiting Belfast lough.

Stuart Andrew: Within Belfast Lough the docks and wharves within the commercial port area are suitable for berthing HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH.While there are no current plans for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH to visit Belfast, the Royal Navy continues to examine opportunities for such engagements around the UK.

Saudi Arabia: Air Force

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) RAF and (b) Government-funded subcontracted personnel work in Saudi Arabia to provide technical and maintenance support to the Saudi Arabian air force.

Stuart Andrew: There are currently nine RAF personnel seconded to BAE Systems who provide engineering support for UK-supplied aircraft and systems operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force.There are no Government-funded subcontracted personnel.

Yemen: Military Intervention

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which UK-supplied military equipment has been used by Saudi Arabia in Yemen since March 2015.

Stuart Andrew: As my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Defence (Sir Michael Fallon) said on the 19 December 2016 (Official Report 618, column 1216), the Royal Saudi Air Force has operated UK-supplied Typhoon and Tornado aircraft in Yemen and used Paveway, Dual Mode Brimstone, Storm Shadow and ALARM munitions.The Saudi-led Coalition confirmed that a limited number of UK-manufactured BL-755 munitions were dropped in Yemen but that these UK manufactured munitions would be no longer used.

Syria: Military Intervention

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that Turkey has trained and recruited former Islamic State militants to aid its operations in Afrin.

Mark Lancaster: We are not aware of any specific reports that Turkey has trained and recruited former Islamic State militants to aid its operations in Afrin. However, affiliations and allegiances between opposition and extremist groups within Syria are known to be fluid and we would not discount the possibility that former members of Daesh have taken part in Turkish-led operations in Afrin.

Fisheries: Protection

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the continued effective operation of the Fisheries Protection patrol in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mark Lancaster: Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials are working closely with colleagues from across Government to manage the consequences of exiting the EU under a 'no deal' scenario. We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal. That remains the goal on both sides and we are confident that this will be achieved. But it is the job of a responsible Government to prepare for all scenarios, so we have already carried out significant 'no deal' preparations for the unlikely event that we reach March 2019 without agreeing a deal. As part of the Department's 2018-19 EU exit allocation from Her Majesty's Treasury, funding was provided to sustain an enhanced number of Offshore Patrol Vessels to ensure that the MOD has the ability to meet the anticipated additional Fisheries Protection requests from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following the UK departure from the EU.

HMS Medway and HMS Trent

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when (a) HMS Medway and (b) HMS Trent will be completed for deployment.

Stuart Andrew: As announced by the Secretary of State for Defence onboard HMS TYNE on 22 November 2018, the Royal Navy is expected to have all the Batch 2 Offshore Patrol Vessels, which includes HMS MEDWAY and HMS TRENT, by the end of 2020.

Navy: Deployment

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the continued effective patrolling of the (a) North Sea, (b) English Channel, (c) Western Approaches, (d) Bristol Channel and (e) Irish Sea; and what plans he has to increase the number of vessels based at the South Atlantic station.

Mark Lancaster: The Royal Navy has a range of vessels that contribute to patrolling the waters of the UK. Those vessels are tasked to reflect the day to day operational demand, including supporting and working with Other Government Departments.Force levels in the South Atlantic are regularly kept under review, and will be adjusted to meet the operational demand.

USA: Hospital Ships

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with the US Department of Defense on (a) US hospital ships and (b) lessons for (i) procurement and (ii) specification of a UK hospital ship.

Stuart Andrew: To date we have had no discussions with the US Department for Defense on US hospital ships and lessons for procurement and specification of a UK hospital ship.

Hospital Ships: Procurement

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a UK hospital ship would be classed as a complex warship and eligible for a restricted tender for UK shipyards for its construction.

Stuart Andrew: In accordance with the National Shipbuilding Strategy, UK hospital ships procured by the Royal Navy are not warships.

Hospital Ships: Finance

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to fund or part-fund a UK hospital ship.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence's requirement for a hospital ship is provided by RFA ARGUS. The consideration of options to deliver the capability provided by ARGUS after she leaves service remains ongoing.

Armed Forces: Disciplinary Proceedings

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) officers and (b) other ranks in the (i) Royal Navy, (ii) Army, (iii) RAF and (iv) Royal Marines in each of the last five years have been subject to (A) minor administrative action, (B) major administrative action, (C) a formal warning and (D) suspension and removal from appointment as a result of unsanctioned contact with the media.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) officers and (b) other ranks in the (i) Royal Navy, (ii) Army, (iii) RAF and (iv) Royal Marines in each of the last five years have been subject to (A) minor administrative action, (B) major administrative action, (C) a formal warning and (D) suspension and removal from appointment as a result of inappropriate use of social media.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The requested information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army: Females

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many women serving in the Army have applied to transfer into infantry roles since his Department's announcement of 25 October 2018 that all roles in the military are now open to women.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications for British Army infantry roles have been from female civilians since the announcement that all roles in the armed forces are now open to women.

Mark Lancaster: The Regiment and role of an Army applicant will only be determined once they have successfully completed the applicant selection process and prior to basic training. For officer applicants, Regiment and role is determined during officer cadet training. Applicants can however express preferences for their Regiment or role within their application. Since the announcement on 25 October 2018, 110 female soldier applicants and five female officer applicants have identified the infantry as one of their preferences. Less than five serving Regular female soldiers have applied to transfer into the infantry to date. By making all branches and trades of the military open to everyone, regardless of their gender, the Armed Forces is demonstrating its commitment to equality and diversity and seeking to maximise the talent of all personnel. Figures are single service estimates and have been rounded to the nearest five to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality.

Islamic State: Military Intervention

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many deployments of British personnel from the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Marines, (c) Army and (d) Royal Air Force there have been in each year of Operation Shader.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many deployments of British personnel from the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Marines, (c) Army and (d) Royal Air Force there have been in each year of Operation Toral.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many deployments of British personnel from the (a) Royal Navy, (b) Royal Marines, (c) Army and (d) Royal Air Force there have been in each year of Operation Cabrit.

Mark Lancaster: The number of UK Armed Forces personnel deployed on operations by financial year (FY) is provided below:  Operation Toral2014-152015-162016-172017-18 Navy30302040 Army1,0309801,0301,220 RAF340480290450 Tri-Service Total1,4001,5001,3401,710  Operation Shader2014-152015-162016-172017-18 Navy60708080 Army5007401,6201,920 RAF1,9502,4202,2102,230 Tri-Service Total2,5103,2303,9104,230  Operation Cabrit2014-152015-162016-172017-18 Navy  ~40 Army  3802,400 RAF  -120 Tri-Service Total  3802,560  NotesUK Armed Forces personnel’ includes UK Regular Forces, Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel and mobilised reservists.Navy figures include Service personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.Service personnel deployed on the same operation across two successive financial years are only counted once and against the earlier financial year.Earliest instance of deployment on Operation Cabrit was in FY 2016-17.Deployment data is derived from the Joint Personnel Administration `Move and Track` system.All figures are rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to avoid systematic bias. Figures below 5 denoted by ~, zero denoted by -.Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and may not equal the sum of their rounded parts.

Air Space: Defence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of incursions into British airspace by foreign military aircraft.

Mark Lancaster: There have been no unauthorised incursions by any foreign military aircraft into sovereign air space around the UK, which projects 12 miles off shore or to mutually agreed mid-points between adjacent nations over narrow straits such as the Straits of Dover. The UK civil air traffic region and the NATO Air Policing Area, which the UK has responsibility for monitoring, include large areas of international airspace through which foreign military traffic may legally transit.The airspace around and approaching the UK is permanently monitored and RAF Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert aircraft stand ready to scramble and intercept aircraft approaching the UK if required.

Army: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on the re-basing of the British Army from Germany to the UK.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The programme is on schedule to complete the relocation of its major units from Germany in 2019. Since 2010, over 16,000 troops (82% of the 2010 footprint in Germany) have relocated to the UK. This includes the building of 1,500 new military houses and 4,500 single bed spaces.

Baltic States and Poland: Military Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of awarding the General Service Medal to British forces personnel who are serving on Operation Cabrit.

Mark Lancaster: Operation CABRIT is not currently a medal-earning operation. All operations change over time and so the Ministry of Defence reviews medallic recognition for all operations on a periodic basis. Operation CABRIT will be subject to this review process in due course.

France: Military Alliances

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy ship will be escorting the French aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, when it departs for its operational cruise of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Mark Lancaster: On current plans a Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer will escort the French Aircraft Carrier (Charles de Gualle) when it departs for its deployment, but the formal nomination of a ship, and indeed the scope of its escort duties, remains subject to wider departmental planning considerations.

Arctic: Defence

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's and NATO's defence capacity in the Arctic; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: As I announced in September 2018, the Ministry of Defence is developing a new Defence Arctic Strategy. As part of this work, an extensive assessment of current and future UK capacity in the Arctic is being undertaken, looking at both sovereign capability and capacity and the UK's contribution to NATO. The strategy is due to be published in the spring.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average cost to the public purse is of a mandatory reconsideration process for welfare benefits.

Sarah Newton: This information is not available.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of applicants for personal independence payment have gone on to apply for mandatory reconsideration.

Sarah Newton: Between April 2013 and September 2018 3.7 million Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions have been made, of these 21% had registered a mandatory reconsideration by the end of September 2018.Notes:These figures include claims made under both Normal Rules and Special Rules for the Terminally Ill and include new claims and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP reassessment claims.Percentages have been rounded to the nearest percent.This is unpublished data from the PIP computer system’s (PIP CS) management information. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision.Great Britain only.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of mandatory reconsideration cases for welfare benefits have resulted in the original ruling being overturned in each year for which information is available.

Sarah Newton: Information on the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) clearances by type are available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/personal-independence-payment-statistics (Table 7b) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employment-and-support-allowance-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessment (Table 14) DWP also publish data about MRs in relation to Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance Work-Related Activity Group (ESA WRAG), and Universal Credit Live Service (UC) benefit sanctions, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/jobseekers-allowance-sanctions#latest-release (Tables 1.8, 2.6 and 3.6) To provide information across all other DWP administered benefits would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the universal credit payment system so that claimants paid on a four-weekly basis for part-time or casual work do not have their benefit payment substantially reduced as a result of receiving two work payments four weeks apart in one calendar month.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit payments reflect, as closely as possible, the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period. Assessment periods allow for Universal Credit awards to be adjusted on a monthly basis, ensuring that if a claimant’s income falls, they do not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit award. Some claimants receive earnings from work multiple times within an assessment period if they are paid via four-weekly, fortnightly, or weekly patterns. This in turn may reduce, or in some cases, nil the Universal Credit award the claimant receives that month. We have produced guidance to help ensure claimants, staff and representatives are aware and it is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments/universal-credit-different-earning-patterns-and-your-payments-payment-cycles Claimants can always discuss the implications of this with their case managers and work coaches and can be referred to Personal Budgeting Support to help them manage their budgeting. The Government is working with employers to ensure that they use the most appropriate payment practices and comply with RTI guidelines in order to minimise the incidence of erroneous or late reporting by employers, and HMRC have recently updated guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles.

Farmers: Industrial Health and Safety

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to reduce risks for farmers at work.

Sarah Newton: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the regulation of health and safety standards on Great Britain’s farms. In March 2018, HSE published its Agriculture Sector Intervention Strategy (available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/strategiesandplans/sector-plans/ag-sec-intervention-strategy.pdf) which details the actions they will take to tackle farm accidents and ill health.

Universal Credit: Appeals

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people asked for a mandatory reconsideration of their universal credit application in 2018; and how many of those reconsiderations led to a different outcome.

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people asked for a mandatory reconsideration of their personal independence payment application in 2018; and how many of those reconsiderations led to a different outcome.

Sarah Newton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 16th January 2019. https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-01-11/207594/

Department for Work and Pensions: Disability

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of staff in her Department including those employed in executive agencies and non-ministerial Departments declared a disability in 2017-18.

Justin Tomlinson: Disclosure of disability status is not a mandatory requirement, therefore the figures may not be a true reflection as some staff may not have declared their disability, or indicated a ‘prefer not to say’ status. At 31 March 2018, 90.5% of DWP’s employees shared details of their disability status. Of these, 7.5% indicated that they were disabled.  Our most recent figures of 31 December 2018 show that of the 87.8% of employees who chose to indicate their disability, 7.5% specified that they were disabled.

Department for Work and Pensions: Contracts

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for her (a) Department and (b) executive agencies; if she will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to her (i) Department and (ii) executive agencies; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Justin Tomlinson: Cleaning services across the DWP estate are carried out by Interserve. This does not include Arms Length Bodies which do not fall under DWP’s estate arrangements. DWP has in excess of 470 contracts with suppliers covering multiple services, for example Estates, IT, Business Support, Health and Employment Services. Details of contracts over the value of £10,000 can be found on: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search DWP cannot comment on how many people working for third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation as there is no statutory or contractual requirement for contractors to pay staff the Living Wage. It is not data DWP collect during the course of Contract Management and not all staff working for those contractors deliver services for DWP.

Department for Work and Pensions: Sikhs

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Sikhs are employed in her Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department encourages all of its employees to provide details of their personal diversity information. This action is voluntary and information is captured via employee input onto the HR SOP system. Details on whether someone is a Sikh is captured via input of religious belief information. As at 31st December, 12,211 employees (14.8% of DWP’s workforce), have input information on their religious belief. This includes 166 employees who have recorded their information as Sikh, and 852 employees who chosen the ‘prefer not to say’ option.

Social Security Benefits: Refugees

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many resettled refugee families arriving in the UK since 2015 under the (a) Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme, (b) Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme and (c) Gateway Protection Programme are subject to the benefit cap.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department does not hold this data on our administration system for capped households under Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when in the next six months she plans to publish statistics on payment timeliness for new universal credit claimants; and what additional statistics she plans to publish in that same period on (a) universal credit and (b) the wellbeing of claimants.

Alok Sharma: The next regular official statistics will be published on 19 February 2019. This will provide the latest data on payment timeliness for new Universal Credit claims. Future official statistics will include additional breakdowns of payment timeliness. Longer term we will publish further Universal Credit statistical releases and continue to commission and publish ad-hoc statistical releases.

Universal Credit

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2018 to Question 190903 on universal credit, when her Department plans to complete the necessary quality assurance work and publish statistics for the proportion of claims paid in full for each of those categories.

Alok Sharma: Overall Universal Credit timeliness statistics were last updated on 13 November 2018 (with the next update due on 19 February). Further work is currently underway to produce and quality assure further information, which must comply with official statistics publication standards. Previous Universal Credit publications can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to uprate the UK state pensions of non-UK nationals living in other EU States in 2019-20.

Guy Opperman: UK State Pensions are payable worldwide without regard to nationality. The Government has committed to up-rate state pensions in the EU in 2019-2020.

Social Security Benefits: Reciprocal Arrangements

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with which EU member states does the UK have bilateral agreements for social security co-ordination which would come into force if the UK left the EU without a withdrawal agreement; and when were those agreements concluded.

Alok Sharma: The UK has seventeen reciprocal social security agreements with EU Member States which are currently in use between some or all of the Crown Dependencies and the relevant EU country. The EU countries and the year the principal convention came into force are: Austria (1971), Belgium (1958), Croatia (1958), Cyprus 1984), Denmark (1960), Finland (1984), France (1958), Germany (1961), Ireland (2007 (consolidated)), Italy (1953), Luxembourg (1955), Malta (1996), Netherlands (2007(consolidated)), Portugal (1979), Slovenia (1958), Spain (1975) and Sweden (1956). In the event the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement, the UK will keep these Reciprocal Agreements under review. Whether these come back into force will be subject to discussion and agreement between the UK and the relevant EU Member State. Separate to Reciprocal Agreements, in the event the UK leaves the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement, the UK government has taken the necessary steps to protect the rights of citizens through legislation and set out the measures it will take. The measures are based on the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement in the policy paper: “Citizens’ Rights - EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU” dated 6 December 2018. For social security arrangements, the UK will have retained EU law allowing the UK to apply the current social security coordination rules to protect those in receipt or entitled to a UK State Pension or benefit until such time as new arrangements are agreed.

Pension Credit

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many couples are in receipt of Pension Credit where one partner has reached state pension age and the other has not.

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the potential effect on the public finances in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22 of the changes to be introduced in May 2019 to the eligibility for pension credit of couples where one partner has reached state pension age and the other has not.

Guy Opperman: An estimated 115,000 couples are in receipt of either Pension Credit or pension-age Housing Benefit where one partner has reached state pension age and the other has not. These couples will continue to receive those benefits for as long as they are entitled to either of them. The table below shows further breakdowns of mixed age couples.  Nov 2018Claiming Pension Credit only34,000Claiming Housing Benefit only25,000Claiming both Pension Credit and Housing Benefit55,000Total mixed age couples115,000 The table below gives estimates of the effects on Annual Managed Expenditure of the changes to be introduced in May 2019 to the eligibility for Pension Credit and pension-age Housing Benefit of couples where one partner has reached state pension age and the other has not. The estimates relate to couples who are not in receipt of either Pension Credit or pension-age Housing Benefit at the point the changes are introduced. They include no estimate of behavioural effects, for example from job retention or increased saving for retirement. Estimated overall AME savingsYear2019/202020/212021/22 £45m£130m£220m To provide context in terms of the estimated AME savings in relation to the mixed age couples policy, the table below sets out total forecasted AME spending directed at pensioners over the same time period. Expenditure Directed at Pensioners 2019/202020/212021/22Nominal termsForecastForecastForecast £123,961m£125,857m£130,692m Source: Table 2a, Benefit expenditure and caseload tables, 2018 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-expenditure-and-caseload-tables-2018)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Finance

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the proposed new Environmental Land Management Schemes after 2022.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State and I have regular meetings with the Chancellor on a wide range of issues. Funding of all government business after 2022 will be determined as part of the next Spending Review.

Agriculture: Finance

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of public advice in the effective delivery of the proposed new Environmental Land Management Schemes.

George Eustice: We will be introducing a new Environmental Land Management (ELM) system that will pay land managers for delivering environmental public goods. The government will work with farmers and land managers who wish to improve the environment by entering into multi-annual ELM contracts in which land managers commit to take certain actions to deliver environmental goods and benefits in return for funding. We believe that those managing the land are best placed to decide how to deliver the environmental benefits they have signed up to provide. We propose that land managers should have access to the information and advice they need to enable them to develop holistic management plans for their land. Evidence from previous agri-environment schemes suggests that the effectiveness of measures and the quality of environmental benefits can depend on the quality and extent of advice from trusted advisers. We propose that an approved specialist adviser should be readily available to help the land manager to deliver desirable environmental outcomes. We want land managers to establish trusted relationships with their adviser. We are therefore exploring the role that third party advisers could play. For example, an adviser could be an agronomist who a farmer has worked with in the past and trusts, or an adviser from a local organisation who can advise on local conditions. We expect that these advisers would need to be approved to demonstrate their level of capability and to ensure sufficient protection for the spending of public money. The appetite for existing advisers training to deliver advice within ELM, and the market for delivering this training, is being tested through a combination of policy development, Testing and Trials and social science involvement, with an intelligence assessment in development.

Air Pollution

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to (a) areas of Salford and (b) the UK who experience poor air quality.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce air pollution in (a) Salford and (b) the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: (a) Government support has included £250 million, since 2017 alone, to Greater Manchester for cleaner better transport to help improve air quality. Manchester authorities, including Salford, are working together to develop a Clean Air Plan for Manchester. The Government is committed to providing the required financial and technical support to local authorities to enable delivery of their air quality plans. We are working closely with Greater Manchester to reduce air pollution and have committed £495 million for local authorities to implement and mitigate their plans. We will be able to consider Greater Manchester’s funding requirement once their final plan is received; it was due in December 2018, but will not be provided until March 2019. (b) The UK continues to meet all current international air quality limits, except for Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations (NO2). In July 2017, we published the NO2 Plan, backed by £3.5 billion of funding, which sets out the steps we are taking to reduce NO2 concentrations in the shortest possible time, thus complying with NO2 limits as soon as possible. We are working intensively with local authorities, to identify measures to swiftly bring forward compliance, and support them with guidance and funding. This includes major cities outside the Capital which are exceeding NO2 limits, including Greater Manchester Authorities, such as Salford. Additionally, we published our new world leading Clean Air Strategy on 14 January 2019, which has been welcomed by the World Health Organisation as “an example for the rest of the world to follow”.

Air Pollution: EU Law

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of UK clean air policy as provided for in EU Directive 2008/50/EC after the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is fully committed to improving air quality and we published our new Clean Air Strategy this month, which has been praised by the World Health Organisation as ‘an example for the rest of the world to follow’. We have already put into statute targets for 2030 and have also made the necessary technical amendments through statutory instruments for continuity of legislation for after leaving the EU.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with sector representatives on the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

David Rutley: My Department is having a number of ongoing discussions with sector representatives on the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; over the last 3 months my officials have met with over 250 sector representatives. We are engaging with representatives from all of Defra’s sectors including food and drink, farming, fishing, the chemicals industry and vets to ensure our sectors understand the potential implications of no deal, what actions they would need to take and that they are prepared for these. These discussions are a two-way dialogue, allowing us to work together with sector representatives to make sure any concerns they have are addressed. Extensive work to prepare for a no deal scenario has been under way for over two years and this is one of the many steps we are taking to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave.

Animal Welfare

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to enhance animal welfare standards as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

David Rutley: Whilst the UK already has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world, we are considering what more can be done in the context of our future agricultural policy. We will maintain our existing standards and look to raise standards sustainably over time as new research and evidence emerges. In England, we intend to develop publicly-funded schemes for farmers to deliver animal welfare enhancements beyond regulatory requirements that are not sufficiently rewarded by the market and want to provide greater transparency and certainty for consumers and for farmers. We are also looking to control exports of live animals for slaughter. In addition to this work related to our departure from the EU, we are planning to increase maximum sentences for animal cruelty to five years. We are also introducing a ban on the ivory trade which is the toughest in Europe.

Environment Protection: Crime

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what new initiatives his Department plans to bring forward to tackle environmental crimes.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Secretary of State commissioned an independent review into serious and organised crime in the waste industry which was published in November last year. The Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our new strategic approach to tackling crime and poor performance in the waste sector and actions in response to the recommendations of the review. We will: consult on a fundamental reform of the waste carriers, brokers and dealers system to ensure that the supply of waste to criminals is curtailed;consult on mandatory digital tracking of waste movements; andwork with the Environment Agency to create a Joint Unit for Waste Crime to deal with the threat of serious and organised criminal gangs. These actions will build on the strong action we have already taken, including by: legislating to enable local authorities and the Environment Agency to issue fixed penalty notices to householders who breach their duty of care to only pass their waste to authorised operators who can dispose of it legally and safely. The penalties came into force on 7 January this year;enhancing local authorities’ and the Environment Agency’s ability to search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers and introducing new powers for the Environment Agency to block access to problem waste sites.increasing the fixed penalties for littering offence, and introducing new powers to tackle littering from vehicles. From April this year, the minimum fixed penalty for littering will rise from £50 to £65; andconsulting on improved guidance to litter authorities on the proportionate and effective use of their enforcement powers. The new guidance will be published shortly.

Milk: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with dairy farmers in Northern Ireland on the (a) cost of production and (b) the sale price of milk.

George Eustice: The Secretary of State and I have frequent discussions with representatives of the UK farming sector on a wide range of matters which have included recent discussions involving the Ulster Farmers Union on agricultural policy. Defra actively monitors the UK farm-gate price of milk, and information collected in our Farm Business Survey for England allows an assessment of the cost of milk production. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs collects similar data on farm incomes in Northern Ireland. This information is available at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-milk-prices-and-composition-of-milkhttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/farm-business-surveyhttps://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/farm-incomes-northern-ireland-2004-2014 We want to support farmers to get a fair price for their products. Our Agriculture Bill will provide ministers, and the devolved administrations where appropriate, with a suite of powers to improve supply chain fairness supporting farmers to get a fair price for their produce.

Farmers: Government Assistance

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to support farmers after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: We have pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament. In England we are planning an ambitious new system based on “public money for public goods”. A seven year transition period will make sure there is gradual and smooth implementation of the new system. It will be for a future Northern Ireland Executive to determine its own policy. However, in the absence of an Assembly, DAERA’s approach to the Bill is to maintain the status quo and preserve flexibility for a future Executive to modify legacy Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Potential Pilot Operators responded to the request for information for the pilot Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.

George Eustice: Defra received eight responses to the Seasonal Workers Pilot Request for Information.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on the level of recycling of the (a) cans and bottles return system using ReturPack in Sweden; (b) deposit charge for drinks bottles in Norway and (c) return vending machines in Denmark.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: As the Minister responsible for this policy area, I visited Norway, Sweden and Denmark at the end of 2017, to find out more about the DRS in those countries. We are drawing upon experience of how DRS systems operate in a range of countries to help shape our proposals for a scheme in England. We have not made specific assessments regarding individual schemes.

Food: Waste Disposal

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department or its agencies maintain a list of local authorities in England that undertake separate food waste recycling collections.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department or its agencies maintain a list of local authorities in England that undertake separate food waste recycling collections.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) publishes detail on food waste collection schemes at: laportal.wrap.org.uk. The WRAP data shows that in England in 2017/18 there were 123 local authorities with a separate food waste collection scheme.

Animal Products: Exports

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether EU law requires the export of animal-based products from the EU to be via a designated border inspection point; and if will he make a statement.

David Rutley: Animal-based product (POAO) being exported from the EU to a third country is not required to exit the EU via a Border Inspection Post (BIP). It would only be required to exit via a BIP if it was transiting the EU from and to a Third Country as laid down in Council Directive 97/78/EC.

Agriculture: Finance

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) regional breakdown of farms and other organisations that have applied to take part in the pilots for the introduction of Environmental Land Management Schemes contracts.

George Eustice: We received 113 proposals and ideas for tests and trials up to the 30 September 2018. We are taking 50 forward in phase one. Those selected for the first phase of testing will help us to test critical elements and building blocks of the new system. The 50 proposals we are taking forward are based around four broad themes: Testing how the land management plan will work with different groups, sectors and geographies. We will explore what information, tools and support land managers will need to develop the plan and who would be involved.Area based approaches looking at the way in which local priorities can be determined at different spatial scales.How we value and pay for natural capital so the new schemes reward farmers and land managers for the true value of delivering the environmental benefits.The role of new or innovative delivery mechanisms such as payment by results and reverse auctions. Thirty-five of the proposals we are taking forward in phase one have a specific regional focus or bounded geographic interest: The NorthThe MidlandsAngliaThe South and South EastThe South West The number of farmers and land managers to be involved in each Test and Trial are extremely variable and not known at this stage. We are working with proposers to develop their proposals into tests or trials. Below is a breakdown of the 35 organisations by region:  The North Cumbrian Catchments Pioneer (Environment Agency)Northumberland National ParkNorth Yorkshire Moors National ParkFederation of Cumbrian Commoners23 Burns Collective (Farmer led collaboration)Cheshire Wildlife TrustNorthern Forests (Woodland Trusts) The Midlands Peak District National ParkForest of Bowland National ParkStaffordshire Wildlife TrustCheshire Wildlife TrustPayment by Results TrialsWildlife Trust/ Farmers Management Plan Collective (Worcestershire and Gloucestershire) Anglia Payments by Results TrialsEssex Water The South and South East South Downs National ParkKent Downs AONBCucksmere and Pevensey LevelsKent and Sussex Wildlife TrustWildlife Trust/ Farmers Management Plan Collective (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Isle of White)En-Trade (Wessex Water) The South West North Devon Landscapes (Natural England)Exmoor National ParkDartmoor National ParkCotswolds AONBQuantocks AONBBlackdowns AONBCranbourne Chase AONBCornwall AONBCornwall Local Enterprise PartnershipGloucestershire Farming and Wildlife Advisory GroupSouth Devon RSPBClinton Devon EstateSomerset Levels (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group)Cornish Wildlife Trusts

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants are currently working on secondment in his Department on issues connected with the UK leaving the EU.

David Rutley: Over 80% of Defra’s agenda is affected by the UK’s departure from the European Union and as a result many roles across the Defra group are now supporting EU exit-related work, either directly or indirectly. As at 31 December 2018, the Defra group had recruited over 2,700 staff including fixed term appointments, interims and staff redeployed from elsewhere. Of these, circa 15 roles were on secondment. A secondment is classed as an arrangement where staff are temporarily brought in from an organisation outside of the Civil Service, whereas a loan is an arrangement where staff are temporarily brought in from another part of the Civil Service.

Home Office

Money Laundering: Criminal Investigation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations into high-end money laundering have been opened by the National Crime Agency in each year since 2014.

Mr Ben Wallace: The number of new investigations launched by the National Crime Agency into high end money laundering by financial year since 2014 are as follows:• 2014/15 – 2 new• 2015/16 – 5 new• 2016/17 – 8 new• 2017/18 – 20 ne

Money Laundering: Criminal Investigation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the investigations into high-end money laundering opened by the National Crime Agency have resulted in charging decisions since 2014.

Mr Ben Wallace: The number of investigations into high end money laundering opened by the National Crime Agency which have resulted in charging decisions since 2014 are as follows:• 2014/15 – 34• 2015/16 – 17• 2016/17 – 8• 2018/19 – 10

Immigration

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of (i) EU and (ii) EEA nationals that will have the right to reside permanently in the UK; and (b) number UK citizens that will have the right to reside permanently in EU Member states after March 2019.

Caroline Nokes: a) The impact assessment for the EU Settlement Scheme estimates that between 3.5m and 4m EEA nationals (excluding Irish nationals) will be eligible to apply for the scheme by the end of the Implementation Period in December 2020.The IA is published at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/875/impacts. b) The Home Office does not hold this information. The Office for National Statistics has published estimates of the number of UK nationals who are resident in other EU countries at:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/articles/livingabroad/april2018

Offshore Trusts: City of London

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate the Government has made of the level of money laundering and large-scale fraud made by way of financial transactions and offshore trust funds through the City of London.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to improve conviction rates for (a) fraud, (b) money laundering and (c) other financial criminal activity.

Mr Ben Wallace: The NCA estimates that there is a realistic possibility that the scale of money laundering impacting on the UK annually is at least in the tens of billions of pounds. The cost to businesses and the public sector from organised fraud is no less than £5.9 billion.This Government has launched the new National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which will deliver a step change in the UK's response to - and impact on - economic crime. For the first time, the NECC brings together enforcement and justice agencies (HM Revenue and Customs, the City of London Police, the National Crime Agency, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service), other government departments, regulatory bodies and the private sector with a shared objective of driving down economic crime in the UK. It will leverage a 'whole system' approach to enhance and coordinate our collective capabilities to target, pursue and dismantle the highest harm serious and organised criminals, including corrupt elites. Where appropriate this will include prosecutions.This Government launched the new Serious and Organised Crime Strategy on 1 November and will invest at least £48m in 2019/20 in law enforcement capabilities to step up efforts to tackle illicit finance and enhance our overall response to serious and organised crime. These will include additional investment in the multi-agency NECC; increased frontline capacity and capability to tackle fraud; and an uplift in investigative and intelligence assessment capabilities at the National Crime Agency.

Immigrants: Detainees

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average duration of detention was for migrants to the UK in 2018.

Caroline Nokes: Information on the length of detention of people leaving detention, broken down by quarter, is available in table dt_06_q of the detention tables in the latest releases of ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending September 2018’, available from the Home Office website at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758249/detention-sep-2018-tables.odsThere are a small number of detainees who have been detained for long periods of time, which would skew the mean value. The median is therefore the most suitable average for these data.

Immigration Controls: Offenders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the number of foreign national offenders from an EU-27 member state have been prevented from entering the UK in each of the last five years.

Caroline Nokes: Border Force prevents travel of known terrorists and serious criminals prior to their arrival in the UK with the use of API and PNR data received from carriers. Through advanced analysis of data and intelligence Border Force devises electronic rules to target persons of interest that can be shared with Border 5 partners and other government departments overseas, to secure borders not only in the country of potential risk, but globally to mitigate any threat.One of Border Force’s priorities is the management of the Pre-Departure Checks Scheme (PDCS) which is designed to deny boarding to high risk in-dividuals identified by the Security Services and Home Office Special Cases Directorate.The Authority to Carry Scheme has been in operation since 2015; this ena-bles Border Force to offload a passenger pre-departure, including those passengers that have Exclusion Orders, Deportation Orders or travelling on an invalid document.

National Crime Agency: Venezuela

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of National Crime Agency activity to tackle crime and corruption emanating from Venezuela in each of the last 5 years.

Mr Ben Wallace: Given the risk to the security and integrity of operational activity, the National Crime Agency does not routinely publish information about the costs associated with any international cooperation.

British Nationality: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children under the age of 18 have been denied UK citizenship in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The available published information on the total number of decisions to refuse applications for British citizenship are published in Home Office’s Immigration Statistics, year ending September 2018, Citizenship tables cz_09 (Refusals of citizenship by reason) available fromhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-september-2018

Immigration: EU Nationals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme pilot in (a) the UK and (b) Garston and Halewood constituency.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been deemed eligible for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme pilot in (a) the UK and (b) Garston and Halewood constituency.

Caroline Nokes: The 3.5 million EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK are eligible to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Over the two private beta test phases, over 30,000 applications have been received. We have published separate reports on both private beta test phases setting out further details of the outcomes. The reports can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/752872/181031_PB1_Report_Final.pdf. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-private-beta-2/eu-settlement-scheme-private-beta-testing-phase-2-reportWe commenced a wider public beta phase on 21 January. We have committed to provide further details in due course of the planned phased implementation of the scheme and we will continue to update Parliament as part of that pro-cess.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to extend the eligibility for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme pilot for EU citizens that can financially sustain themselves but do not work.

Caroline Nokes: As set out in the Statement of Intent published on 21 June 2018, we have decided as a matter of domestic policy that the main requirement for eligibility under the EU Settlement Scheme will be continuous residence in the UK. Applicants will not need to demonstrate that they meet the current relevant requirements in the Free Movement Directive as to permitted activity.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme: Small Businesses

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the effect a seasonal agricultural workers scheme would have on small labour providers.

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to provide feedback to labour providers on the effectiveness of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Pilot Scheme.

Caroline Nokes: The Seasonal Workers Pilot will test the effectiveness of our immigration system at alleviating seasonal labour shortages during peak production periods, whilst looking at the wider impacts of such a scheme.The pilot will start in the spring of this year and will run until the end of December 2020. It will be fully evaluated.

Youth Mobility Scheme

Heidi Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend the Youth Mobility Scheme to additional non-EEA countries after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: We have proposed a UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) as part of our Mobility Framework to ensure that young people can continue to enjoy the social, cultural and educational benefits of living in the EU and the UK.We will ensure that our future immigration system continues to support the thriving cultural exchanges that the YMS cultivates.

Cammell Laird: Strikes

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will release all documents relating to the 1984 strike at Cammell Lairds Shipyard and the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of 37 striking workers.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not hold any files relating to the 1984 strike at Cammell Lairds Shipyard and the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of 37 striking workers.

Home Office: Staff

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time support staff in his Department work on (i) visa applications and (ii) asylum applications (A) in 2019 and (B) in 2009.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time decision-making staff deal with (i) visa applications and (ii) asylum applications (A) currently and (B) in 2009.

Caroline Nokes: UK Visas and Immigration regularly reviews its capacity plans and resources and redeploys staff where necessary to help meet and maintain service standards for individual services or routes.However, to provide the number of decision-making staff and support staff who were employed to process visa and asylum applications in 2019 and 2009 it would require a manual check through resourcing databases and would encounter disproportionate costs.Data on staffing within UK Visas & Immigration is published online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#staffing-data

Immigration: Children

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide independent legal guardianships for (a) unaccompanied and (b) trafficked children in (i) Oxfordshire and (ii) the UK.

Victoria Atkins: The Independent Child Trafficking Advocate (ICTA) service was rolled out in three early adopter sites in Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Wales in January 2017.We have invested an additional £2m to expand the ICTA provision into West Midlands, East Midlands and Croydon. This will mean the service will be available in one third of all local authorities by April 2019.Section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which makes provisions for ICTAs, is being considered in the Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act led by Frank Field, Baroness Butler-Sloss and Maria Miller. The Government will carefully consider any recommendations for the national rollout of ICTAs which come out of the review.Unaccompanied children are looked after by the relevant local authority and are entitled to the same services as any other looked after child. Under these arrangements, unaccompanied children will have a professional social worker and an independent reviewing officer to oversee their care arrangements. All unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in England are referred to the Refugee Council’s Children’s Panel and they are also entitled to legal assistance in pursuing their asylum claim. The Government believes that these arrangements ensure unaccompanied children are provided with the independent support and advice that they need.

Fire and Rescue Services: Inspections

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many fire inspections have been carried out by fire and rescue services in the UK in each of the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd: Fire is a devolved matter so the Home Office only holds data for England. Data on the number of fire safety audits undertaken by fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England are published in fire statistics data table FIRE1202 which accompanied the “Fire prevention and protections statistics, England, April 2017 to March 2018” release, available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-prevention-and-protection-statistics-england-april-2017-to-march-2018

Knives: Crime

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to (a) decrease the total number of knife crimes and (b) support programmes that aim to educate young people of the dangers and consequences of carrying such weapons.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is very concerned about increases in knife crime and its impact on victims, families and communities. The action we are taking is set out in our Serious Violence Strategy and includes new legislation in the Offensive Weapons Bill and continuing police action under Operation Sceptre. We have also been supporting the #knifefree media campaign to raise awareness of the consequences of knife crime and discourage young people from carrying knives. The campaign features real testimonies of young people, and it is being promoted via social media as well as traditional channels of communication, including lesson plans for schools.The Serious Violence Strategy includes a strong focus on prevention and early intervention to stop young people being drawn in to knife crime. We are supporting early intervention and prevention with children and young people through 29 projects announced in November that we are funding with £17.7m through the Early Intervention Youth Fund and we are supporting 68 small community projects this year through £1.5 million from the anti-knife crime Community Fund. In addition, we have extended our support for Redthread in hospital emergency departments to introduce its “teachable moment” youth violence intervention work to hospitals in Birmingham and Nottingham.

English Language: Assessments

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the consistency between B1 English tests carried out at different centres.

Caroline Nokes: Consistency between B1 English tests is ensured by the testing providers (Trinity College London and IELTS SELT Consortium).These Concessionaires provide this service through a concessionary agreement with the Home Office.During the procurement of the concessions both suppliers provided evidence of how their tests mapped across to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) scale and this was independently assessed as part of the procurement. It is also part of the Concessionaires responsibility (under the concession) to ensure that their tests continue to map across to the CEFR.

Migrant Workers: Pay

Luke Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward regional salary thresholds for non-UK workers to allow businesses to recruit employees in line with regional economic circumstances after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The Migration Advisory Committee considered this issue and found that there was no strong economic case for regional differentiation within the im-migration system.

Livestock: Theft

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to advise farmers on the risk of livestock theft.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has ensured that, through the election of police and crime commissioners, communities across England and Wales, including those in rural areas, have a strong voice in determining how police resources are allocated to tackle the crimes that most matter to them. This includes the police providing engagement, advice and reassurance to rural communities through schemes such as Farm Watch or Country Watch.The Police Service of Northern Ireland provides advice and information on their website about a number of issues, including livestock theft. Details can be found at:https://www.psni.police.uk/globalassets/graphics/rp003--advice-on-rural-security-leaflet-tri-fold.pdf

Visas: Overseas Visitors

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people had their visas to visit the UK revoked in 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office does not collate or publish the information requested.

Visas: Fees and Charges

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what sums his Department received in payments for visa applications in each of the last three years.

Caroline Nokes: Information on visa and immigration income is published annually in The Home Office Annual Report and Accounts. Refer to links below for the last 3 years figures.FY2017/18 – page 126:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727179/6_4360_HO_Annual_report_WEB.PDFFY2016/17 - page 117:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/627853/ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdfFY2015/16 - page 134:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/539638/HO_AR_16_gov.pdf

Female Genital Mutilation: Victims

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the average cost of supporting an FGM victim in the UK, including the provision of (a) mental health support, (b) safeguarding costs, (c) medical support, and (d) other associated costs.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps the Government has taken to develop a cross-departmental strategy on tackling FGM.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has plans to allocate future funding to the National FGM Centre.

Victoria Atkins: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime and it is child abuse. The Government is clear that we will not tolerate a practice that can cause extreme and lifelong suffering to women and girlsThe Government has significantly strengthened the law in 2015 to improve protection for victims and those at risk, and to break down the barriers to prosecution.Work to tackle FGM is an integral part of our cross-Government Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, published in March 2016. The Strategy commits to continue to challenge deep-rooted social norms, attitudes and behaviours that discriminate against and limit women and girls across all communities. As part of our commitment to tackling all forms of VAWG, we have pledged £100 million in funding, including the £17 million VAWG transformation fund. This year, we will refresh the strategy to ensure that we are doing all that we can to tackle crimes which disproportionately affect women.In July 2017, the National FGM Centre received additional funding through the Department for Education’s Social Care Innovation Programme to sup-port its work through to the end of March 2020. The intention was for this funding to be time limited, with the Centre to be self-sustaining from April 2020. Therefore, the Home Office have no plans to contribute to the funding of the Centre beyond March 2020.The Home Office does not hold information on the average cost of supporting an FGM victim in the UK. However, we are committed to continuing our work to protect and support victims and those at risk of this terrible crime.

Home Office: Disability

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of staff in his Department including those employed in executive agencies and non-ministerial Departments declared a disability in 2017-18.

Victoria Atkins: The 2018 Annual Civil Service Employment Survey showed that as at 31 March 2018, the proportion of Home Office staff who declared a disability is 8.9%.Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC):As at 31 March 2018, figures for staff who have declared a disability are as follows: DisabilityNumber%No99695.4%Yes484.6%total1044100%  College of Policing: The table below summarises the makeup of the College at 31 March 2018. This includes secondees and contractors in addition to College staff. Disability Volume% totalDisability declared203.1%No disability30146.8%Prefer not to say152.3%Unknown/blank30747.7%total643100  Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA):  1.63% of employees (FTE) declared a disability in 2017/18. Security Industry Authority (SIA): 3.92% of the total staff headcount declared a disability in 2017/18. Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC): 1.88% of employees (FTE) declared a disability in 2017/18. Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS): 6.94% of the total staff headcount declared a disability in 2017/18

Immigration: EU Nationals

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure it is able to process large numbers of applications from EU citizens applying for settled status under the EU settlement scheme.

Caroline Nokes: EU Settlement Scheme is a new streamlined, user-friendly digital application process which draws on existing government data to minimise the administra-tive burden on individuals.We are confident that the administrative process will be simple and streamlined, and we expect most applications to be processed very quickly. In addition to the new technology and processes, we will have cir-ca 1,500 UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) European Casework staff in post to process applications.

Offences against Children: Social Media

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 205952 on Offences against Children: Internet, whether be plans to bring forward proposals for statutory regulation to enforce safety rules on social media platforms.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 205952 on Offences against Children: Internet, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Facebook’s use of technology to proactively detect grooming on Instagram, WhatsApp and other sites owned by Facebook.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 205952 on Offences against Children: Internet, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Snapchat’s use of technology to proactively detect grooming on their site.

Victoria Atkins: On 7-8 November the Home Secretary co-hosted a Hackathon with Microsoft and the WePROTECT Global Alliance. Leading companies, including Facebook and Snapchat, worked to develop a prototype tool to detect online grooming, which will be provided licence free to small and medium companies worldwide.The Home Secretary met with the senior leadership of Facebook, Snapchat and other technology companies to urge them to promote the use of the new prototype to tackle potential instances of online grooming.Since the Hackathon, the Home Office have been engaging with technology companies, including Facebook and Snapchat, and discussing how to fulfil the Home Secretary’s priority asks of the technology industry, as outlined in his speech at the NSPCC on 3 September. While progress has been made on detection and disruption of online grooming, on these platforms and others, significant challenges remain. We continue to work with companies to drive greater transparency on online grooming and foster greater sharing of best practice and technology between companies.The Home Office is also engaging with key industry stakeholders on the Online Harms White Paper. The White Paper will set out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures detailing how we will tackle online harms and set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe online. Protecting children from abuse and exploitation online will be a central component of the White Paper.

Forensic Science: Standards

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to ISO 17020, entitled, General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Bodies Performing Inspection, what progress his Department has made on the (a) approval and (b) introduction of  Quality Standards for Collision Investigators.

Mr Nick Hurd: Quality standards for collisions investigations are an operational matter for police forces in accordance with guidance set by the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs Council. Forces are required to meet the accreditation by October 2020.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he will take to reimburse people in Liverpool who have paid a fee to obtain settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme pilot; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Nokes: As the Prime Minister announced on 21 January anyone who has already applied for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or who applies and pays a fee during the pilot phases, will have their fee refunded.The Home Office will set out full details in due course.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have (a) successfully obtained and (b) been denied settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme pilot in (i) Garston and Halewood Constituency and (ii) Liverpool.

Caroline Nokes: The EU Settlement Scheme opened on a trial basis at the end of August and the second phase of live testing ended on 21 December. In light of the positive progress, we have commenced a wider public beta phase on 21 January.Over the two private beta test phases, over 30,000 applications have been re-ceived and more than 90% of those individuals have already been successfully processed through the scheme and granted status under it. We have published separate reports on both private beta test phases setting out further details of the outcomes. The reports can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/752872/181031_PB1_Report_Final.pdf. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-private-beta-2/eu-settlement-scheme-private-beta-testing-phase-2-report.

Joint Fraud Taskforce

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the joint fraud task force management board has met since the last published minutes of 20 June 2018.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Joint Fraud Taskforce Management Board has met on several occasions since 20 June 2018. They have been reviewing the work of the Joint Fraud Taskforce and how the group is structured, to ensure it is able to respond to the highest harm fraud threats we face, using all the powers and resources of its members to maximise impact. The Joint Fraud Taskforce Management Board will publicly report on their new approach shortly.

Joint Fraud Taskforce

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the joint fraud task force will continue to operate following the announcement of the formation of the economic crime strategy board.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Joint Fraud Taskforce will continue to operate, working as a public and private partnership to tackle fraud and to protect victims.

Ministerial Economic Crime Strategic Board

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms of reference will be for the Economic Crime Strategy Board; and if the reports of that Board will be published.

Mr Ben Wallace: The new Economic Crime Strategic Board, which will meet twice a year, will set priorities, direct resources and scrutinise performance against the economic crime threat, which is set out in the Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) Strategy. The Board brings together key leaders from the public and private sectors working together to develop a single system response.

Fraud

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the level of fraud in the UK; and what plans he has to tackle fraud.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Office Analysis and Insight Team has developed its evidence base on the scale, nature and impact of fraud against individuals and businesses using comparative analysis from key data sources, such as Action Fraud, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and academic literature. The CSEW reports an estimated 3.3 million fraud incidents in England and Wales for the year ending June 2018. In the same period, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) notes 641,700 fraud and computer misuse offences referred, including those from Action Fraud (the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime) with 288,703 offences reported.The Home Office is working in partnership with the wider public and private sectors to develop measures aimed at reducing peoples’ vulnerability to fraud. We have also been working with law enforcement to improve the reporting and investigation of fraud and the support provided to victims. Last year, the Secretary of State commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services to carry out a thematic inspection of the policing response to fraud. The inspection report is due to be published in early 2019, and will inform our future activity.

Fraud: Crime Prevention

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will implement a national fraud prevention strategy with an annual statement of priorities.

Mr Ben Wallace: Preventing fraud by designing out the vulnerabilities that criminals exploit and educating the public about fraud are central tenets of the Joint Fraud Taskforce’s work. The Taskforce is committed to transparency and will publish its priorities, along with reports on its progress.

Action Fraud

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of fraud Action Fraud received in each year since 2013 by police force area.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Home Office collects statistics on the number of fraud cases reported to Action Fraud by each Police Force Area on a quarterly basis. These data are published as Experimental statistics in the Office for National Statistics ‘Crime in England and Wales’ statistical bulletins.The table provided goes back to the year ending March 2015, the earliest year that fraud data was available by Police Force Area.The next release of the ‘Crime in England and Wales’ statistical bulletin is due to be published on 24th January and will include fraud cases reported to Action Fraud for the year ending September 2018.

Asylum: Applications

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for asylum applications that were submitted (a) three years ago, (b) two years ago and (c) within the last 12 months are awaiting a decision.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office publishes data, in its quarterly Immigration Statistics release, on the number of asylum applications lodged in each year, broken down by outcome, including cases with a decision, or appeal outcome, not known as at May 2018 (time of publication), in table as_06 (Asylum, volume 2)Latest edition available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758195/asylum2-sep-2018-tables.odsThe next update of this table is due in August 2019.

Immigrants: Detainees

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have been held in immigration detention since September 2018; and what steps his Department is taking to establish alternatives to detention for children at risk of being detained in exceptional circumstances.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment his Department has made of the equity of the treatment of children in refugee detention centres.

Caroline Nokes: Home Office statistics on the number of children held in immigration detention since September 2018 have not yet been published. The next publication: Immigration Statistics, year ending December 2018 will be released on 29 February 2019 at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-releaseInformation on children in detention broken down by quarter, is available in the detention tables in the latest release of ‘Immigration Statistics, year ending September 2018’, available from the Home Office website at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/758249/detention-sep-2018-tables.odsThe UK does not operate refugee detention centres and ended the routine detention of children in 2010 and, in line with the Immigration Act 2014, does not hold unaccompanied children in immigration removal centres. There remain limited circumstances where unaccompanied children may be detained for a short period, usually at ports of entry. This will be done for safeguarding reasons and will be for a very brief period, normally just a matter of hours, until alternative care arrangements are made. Families with children intercepted at the border may also be detained very briefly, but the Home Office does not publish data on children detained at the border.Under the Family Returns Process, which was established in 2011 as an alternative to routine detention in immigration removal centres, a family with children with no lawful basis of stay in the UK who fails to comply with Home Office attempts to encourage and support voluntary return may, as a last resort, be detained at dedicated Pre Departure Accommodation (PDA), for a short period immediately prior to removal. The operation of the PDA is regulated by the published PDA Operating Standards. Treatment of children more generally is also governed by Detention Services Order 19/2012 “Safeguarding Children Policy.” These documents can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-departure-operating-standardshttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/detention-and-escorting-safeguarding-children-policy

Slavery: Victims

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with Police and Crime Commissioners across the country on protecting the rights of victims of modern slavery against criminal conviction.

Victoria Atkins: The Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC’s) have a national anti-trafficking and modern slavery network, where members of the group meet regularly with representatives from the Home Office and law enforcement agencies.Although no recent discussions have taken place, this issue has been previously highlighted at the national network for PCC’s and at the recent Home Affairs Select Committee evidence session on modern slavery. This was also due to be discussed at a recent meeting between the Home Secretary and PCC Mark Burns-Williamson, which was cancelled.

Refugees: Children

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to secure a resolution for the 30 unaccompanied children in Calais who have had their migrant status confirmed in the UK under the Dubs scheme.

Caroline Nokes: We continue to work very closely with participating States France, Greece and Italy, local authorities and delivery partners to relocate the specified number of 480 children under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 as soon as possible. Over 220 children are already in the UK and transfers are ongoing continuously.As part of the Sandhurst Treaty, signed between the UK and France in January 2018, we made a number of specific commitments relating to un-accompanied asylum-seeking children. This included the deployment of a UK Asylum Liaison Officer to support the transfer of eligible children under section 67 and the Dublin Regulation. We also allocated £3.6 million specifically to fund the development of the Dublin process to support transfers of eligible children to the UK, including training for those working with unaccompanied children, family tracing and targeted information campaigns.Relocation of eligible children to the UK is dependent on the availability of appropriate local authority care placements. The Government maintains a continual dialogue with local authorities, Strategic Migration Partnerships, and delivery partners in the UK. We welcome all offers from local authori-ties with capacity to look after unaccompanied asylum seeking children and will continue to utilise these offers to fulfil all of our existing commitments.

Immigration: Applications

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of premium service applications for indefinite leave to remain were processed on the same day in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: Information on in country premium service applications for indefinite leave to remain and performance against service standards is published in the Migration Transparency data, table InC07 and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-dataThis shows that 98.9% of straightforward cases were dealt with within our same day customer service standard.Historic data for the 2017 period can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-country-migration-data-november-2017We are unable to provide data for the period before 2017.

Immigration and Nationality: Applications

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for (a) indefinite leave to remain, (b) naturalisation and (c) asylum were lost by his Department in each year since 2010.

Caroline Nokes: The information on the number of applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain, naturalisation and asylum which have been lost is not recorded in a manner which can be reported on, and to do so would require a trawl through immigration databases which could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.

Refugees: Children

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2018 to Question 199462 on Refugees: Children, how the £3.6M development fund will be spent; and whether his Department has identified specific projects for that funding.

Caroline Nokes: The UK and France enjoy a special relationship based on shared values and priorities, including promoting the rule of law, protecting the rights of individuals and ensuring the security of our citizens. In January 2018 both countries signed the Sandhurst Treaty, which included a funding package of £45.5 million to fund joint co-operation on all elements of tackling the impact of illegal migration in northern France. Within this package, £3.6 million was specifically allocated to funding the development of the Dublin process to support transfers of eligible children to the UK, including training for those working with unaccompanied children, family tracing and targeted information campaigns.

Speed Limits: Monitoring

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the (a) reliability and (b) accuracy of the LTI 20.20 speed gun; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Nick Hurd: LTI 20.20 handheld speed measurement devices have been approved under the Home Office Type Approval process. Type Approval ensures that devices are accurate, precise, reliable, and consistent so that any evidence generated can be relied upon in court.

Domestic Violence: Victims

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to support (a) people who have been victims of domestic abuse and (b) women and children who have suffered domestic violence.

Victoria Atkins: On 21 January the Government published a draft Domestic Abuse Bill and consultation response on transforming the response to domestic abuse, a ground-breaking series of measures to promote awareness, support victims, tackle perpetrators and improve services.We have also published a package of non-legislative actions that will see further support for children affected by domestic abuse, the elderly, disabled, male and migrant victims and those in the LGBTQ community.We have pledged funding of £100m to support victims of violence against women and girls, which includes £20m for victims of domestic abuse. £8m has been allocated specifically for children affected by domestic abuse and we have also provided £163,000 to expand the Operation Encompass scheme which supports children at school if they have been affected by a domestic abuse incident.Ending domestic abuse remains an absolute priority for this government.

Immigrants: Bank Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have had their bank accounts closed as a result of provisions introduced in the Immigration Act 2016.

Caroline Nokes: The banking provisions in the Immigration Act 2016 took effect during the first quarter of 2018, but are not yet operating in full due to temporary restrictions introduced to ensure that members of the Windrush generation are not adeversley impacted. To date the Home Office has recieved confirmation from the banking sector that 15 accounts have been closed as a result of the Immigration Act 2016 provisions.

Immigrants: Employment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have had their right to work revoked as a result of provisions introduced in the Immigration Act 2016.

Caroline Nokes: A person subject to immigration control derives their right to work from the leave to enter or remain and any associated conditions granted to them by the Home Office, not from the Immigration Act 2016. Employers are responsible for preventing illegal working under the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 by conducting right to work checks specified in Home Office regulations. The Immigration Act 2016 supplemented these controls by clarifying that it is a criminal offence for a person subject to immigration control to work unlawfully in the UK, and incorporated further safeguards into the alcohol, late night refreshment, taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regimes to prevent immigration offenders working in these sectors.

Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people are currently waiting for a decision on leave to remain as a stateless person.

Caroline Nokes: I am sorry but we do not hold the data required to answer the question in the requested format. The Home Office regularly shares information with UNHCR relating to Stateless Leave applications and decisions made. Some of the information provided is published by UNHCR, in regular trend reports. The latest published report by UNHCR on mid year trends, from June 201, can be found at the link below:https://www.unhcr.org/uk/statistics/unhcrstats/5aaa4fd27/mid-year-trends-june-2017.html

Scotland Office

City Region Deals: Tayside

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on the Tay Cities Deal.

David Mundell: Since the Tay Cities Heads of Terms were signed on 22 November my officials have met with local partners on a number of occasions to progress the Tay Cites Deal. My officials will continue to engage at a pace set by the local partners. A further meeting is planned for 5 February with Angus Council to hold further detailed discussions on the conditions of the ring-fenced fund for Angus.

Cabinet Office

Civil Service Widows Pension

Marion Fellows: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reasons (a) the Civil Service Widows Pension Scheme rules include the 1972 Section in which premium deductions are taken should an individual marry after retirement and (b) the premium deduction is not paid out to children following the death of the policyholder; and whether MyCSP retains premium deductions.

Oliver Dowden: (a) Widows/widowers/civil partners’ pension provisions exist in all parts of the Civil Service pension arrangements. The facility whereby a ‘premium deduction’ is taken from any refund of contributions payable to an unmarried member only exists in the 1972 Section (none of the other parts of the Civil Service pension arrangements provide refunds to unmarried members). The deduction is there to cover the scheme against the risk that the member marries/enters a civil partnership in retirement and then pre-deceases their spouse/civil partner, giving rise to a widow(er)/civil partner’s pension payable from the scheme. (b) If the premium were to be repaid to the member’s estate should they subsequently die without marrying or entering a civil partnership, the amount of the premium would need to be significantly higher as it would only be retained by the scheme in circumstances where a spouse/civil partner’s pension was payable. (c) The Civil Service pension arrangements are funded through the Civil Superannuation Vote. Contributions (both member and employer) are paid into the Vote, and benefits and refunds are paid out of the Vote. MyCSP are the scheme administrator. They arrange for refunds of contributions to be paid, where appropriate. But if a premium deduction is necessary, MyCSP do not retain that deduction themselves. It is retained in the Vote.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Robert Courts: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Electoral Commission report of 14 December 2018 entitled Cost of delivering the June 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the EU, what the total cost of the referendum was to the public purse including pre-purdah referendum publicity and documentation.

Chloe Smith: The cost to taxpayers of delivering the 2016 EU Referendum was £129.1 million. A breakdown of that cost is provided in the report published by the Electoral Commission. The then Government undertook publicity on EU membership ahead of the referendum. This cost an additional £9.3 million. The total cost to taxpayers was thus £138.4 million

Natural Gas: Kazakhstan

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2019 to Question 210025 on, how many civil servants work in Project Santiago.

Oliver Dowden: There is a core team of Civil Servants leading Project Santiago, numbering nine (9). This is supplemented with expertise from across central government departments and external subject matter experts as appropriate. Project Santiago has been a joint programme, working across central government departments and industry, including wider public bodies.

Natural Gas: Kazakhstan

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2019 to Question 210025, whether Project Santiago involves the participation of consultants employed by any of the Big Four.

Oliver Dowden: There is a core team of nine civil servants leading Project Santiago. This is supplemented with expertise from across central government departments and external subject matter experts as appropriate. Project Santiago has been a joint programme, working across central government departments and industry, including wider public bodies.

Infrastructure: Contracts

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a Minister of the Crown has the power to ban or restrict a named company's involvement as a (a) UK critical national infrastructure operator and (b) supplier to a UK critical national infrastructure operator.

Mr David Lidington: The Government has a comprehensive range of powers to protect national security. Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Government has the power to prevent relevant mergers and acquisitions concerning the UK’s critical national infrastructure on national security grounds. In July 2018 the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy published the National Security and Investment White Paper which sets out proposed reforms to the government’s powers to protect national security from hostile actors using ownership of, or influence over, businesses and assets to harm the country. These proposed reforms will address the technological and economic changes that have taken place in recent years, that have changed the types of national security threats the UK faces. Depending upon the factual scenario, the Government may have other powers to ban or restrict a named company’s involvement as (a) a UK critical national infrastructure operator; or (b) a supplier to a UK critical national infrastructure operator. However, this will vary depending upon the specific critical national infrastructure sector in question and how it is regulated. 2018 White Paper: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728310/20180723_-_National_security_and_investment_-_final_version_for_printing__1_.pdf

Intelligence Services: Vacancies

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of job vacancies in the intelligence services that have remained unfilled for over three months in each year since 2010.

Mr David Lidington: As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Infrastructure: Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what powers the Government has to audit the cyber security of (a) UK critical national infrastructure operators and (b) their major suppliers.

Mr David Lidington: In 2018 the Government put in place new powers under the Network and Information Security (NIS) Regulations which require the most significant operators in the energy, transport, health, water, and digital infrastructure sectors to manage cybersecurity risk, including from the supply chain. The Competent Authorities who regulate the critical national infrastructure operators in scope of NIS may inspect and potentially impose fines of up to £17 million. Outside of NIS any powers are sector specific. Expert technical support from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is provided to regulators and operators to ensure that cyber security risk is managed and mitigated in a consistent way across the UK’s CNI.

Absent Voting

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the ease with which people travelling abroad can register to vote by proxy.

Chloe Smith: The cost to taxpayers of delivering the 2016 EU Referendum was £129.1 million. A breakdown of that cost is provided in the report published by the Electoral Commission. The then Government undertook publicity on EU membership ahead of the referendum. This cost an additional £9.3 million. The total cost to taxpayers was thus £138.4 million

Treasury

Capital Investment

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many individual capital projects were awarded to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018 and (iii) 2019 to date by the Government; and what was the value of those projects.

Elizabeth Truss: HM Treasury does not centrally hold information on all individual capital projects approved in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland. Capital projects in the Devolved Administrations are not funded through a single mechanism, nor is there a single decision-making body. In devolved policy areas funding comes from either i) central government, as in the case of the Belfast City Regional Deal at Autumn Budget 2018; or ii) from Devolved Administrations’ own capital budgets, which are set per the Barnett formula. Projects in reserved policy areas, such as Defence, are funded through central government. Because there is no central funding source or decision-making body, we do not hold a complete record of individual capital projects approved in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in (i) 2017, (ii) 2018 and (iii) 2019.

Local Growth Deals

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the Government's Growth Deal announcements in (a) 2017, (b) 2018 and (c) 2019 that included allocated funding for (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland.

Elizabeth Truss: The government has agreed six City and Growth Deals in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since 2017. In 2017 the government announced the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Deal and Swansea City Deal. In 2018 the government announced the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Deal, Tay Cities Deal, North Wales Growth Deal and Belfast City Region Deal. The government has committed to agree Growth Deals for the Borderlands, Ayrshire, Moray, Mid Wales and Derry/Londonderry City Region.

Gambling: Taxation

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a tax on the gambling industry to provide funding for people that have been made destitute as a result of gambling addiction.

Robert Jenrick: The Gambling Commission is consulting on its new national strategy to reduce gambling harm, this includes a review of the financial contributions made by the industry. The license conditions of gambling companies require them to make a financial contribution to organisations that tackle gambling harm. As announced at Autumn Budget, Remote Gaming Duty will be increased to 21% from 1 April 2019.

Retail Trade: Urban Areas

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department is having with the devolved Administrations on government support for high street businesses.

Mel Stride: At Budget 2018, the Government announced a £675 million Future High Streets Fund to support local areas in England in developing and funding plans to make high streets fit for the future. Alongside this, the UK Government announced a business rates discount of one third for small retailers in England for two years from April 2019. As high streets funding and business rates are devolved, the Barnett formula has been applied to both in the normal way, and it is for the Devolved Administrations to decide how to use this additional funding.

Treasury: Disability

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of staff in his Department including those employed in executive agencies and non-ministerial Departments declared a disability in 2017-18.

Robert Jenrick: The Disability data for HM Treasury, Government Internal Audit, DMO, OBR, and NIC are published in the ONS Annual Civil Service Employment Survey. Numbers between 1 and 5 employees are shown as “-“. https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics

Football Pools: Excise Duties

Chris Stephens: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the (a) finances and (b) usage of the football pools of the reduction in pools duty from 15 per cent to 10 per cent.

Robert Jenrick: Pool Betting Duty raises around £4m in revenue for the Exchequer per year. Cutting Pool Betting Duty to 10% could pose a risk to the public finances from a reduction in General Betting Duty revenue as bookmakers would have an incentive to switch their products from fixed odds bets to pools bets. It is unlikely to increase usage of the football pools which has been in long term decline due to the poplularity of other gambling products.

EURATOM

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2018 to Question 196828 on EURATOM, what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the scenarios in the White Paper entitled Legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, published on 24 July 2018, and the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

John Glen: The White Paper published on the 24th July 2018 entitled Legislating for the Withdrawal Agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union sets out the Government's plans for legislating for those parts of the Withdrawal Agreement which were agreed at the March European Council 2018: citizens' rights, the implementation period and the negotiated financial settlement. It did not cover other areas of the Withdrawal Agreement where negotiations were ongoing at the point of publication. It also did not cover the future relationship. Subsequently, we have agreed the terms of our exit from the European Union, as set out in the withdrawal agreement agreed by the EU member states at the special European Council on Sunday 25 November. We also agreed the terms of our future relationship, as outlined in the political declaration. What we have agreed means that we will leave the EU in a smooth and orderly way on 29 March 2019 and sets the framework for a future relationship that delivers in our national interest. It takes back control of our borders, laws and money, it protects jobs, security and the integrity of the United Kingdom, and it delivers in ways that many said could simply not be done. It protects the rights of more than three million EU citizens living in the UK and around one million UK nationals living in the EU. The Withdrawal Agreement offers a time-limited implementation period that provides a bridge to the future relationship, allowing businesses to continue trading as now until the end of 2020. It provides a fair financial settlement for UK taxpayers estimated to be between £35-39bn, resolving our obligations.

Social Services: Children

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the proportion of public expenditure that is spent on children’s services delivered by local government.

Elizabeth Truss: I refer the hon member to the answer I gave on 17 December 2018 to PQ UIN 202165.

Cash Dispensing: Fees and Charges

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will seek clarity from LINK on planned future reductions to the ATM interchange fee; and if he will make a statement.

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will establish a working group with the Payment Systems Regulator on preventing an increase in financial exclusion.

John Glen: The Government recognises that widespread access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK. Government is continuing to engage with the Payment Systems Regulator and industry, including LINK, on this issue. LINK has cancelled its third interchange fee reduction, due in January 2020, and put on hold its fourth reduction, due in January 2021, pending further review. The Payment Systems Regulator, who regulates LINK, has welcomed these adjustments, having stated that LINK must carefully review its decisions on interchange fees to reflect changing market conditions. LINK has also recently announced new financial support for ATMs in remote and deprived areas. The Government is also committed to ensuring that individuals, regardless of their background or income, have access to useful and affordable financial products and services. That’s why the Government established the Financial Inclusion Policy Forum in November 2017 with a membership of leaders from across the financial services industry, charities and consumer groups. The Forum provides leadership and ensures collaboration across government and with the sector in tackling financial exclusion. The Forum meets bi-annually, with the next meeting due to take place on 26 March 2019.

Social Services: Children

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of total public expenditure is spent on children’s services delivered by local government.

Elizabeth Truss: I refer the hon member to the answer I gave on 17 December 2018 to PQ UIN 202165.

Public Finance

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the national insurance surplus has been spent on reducing national debt in each year since 2015.

Mel Stride: The National Insurance Fund (NIF) is financed on a pay-as-you-go basis with receipts collected in one year used to pay for contributory benefits paid out in the same year. Surplus funds are transferred to the NIF Investment Account. The NIF Accounts present the receipts, payments and balance of the NIF at the end of each financial year. The accounts are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-fund-accounts

Coinage: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

Patrick Grady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 207221, if he will list the designation and location of the coin issuing authority for each Overseas Territory and Crown Dependency.

Robert Jenrick: The UK’s has underpinned its commitment to its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, by allowing them to mint their own versions of the iconic 12-sided £1 coin. The Treasury does not hold a list of coin issuing authorities of non-UK governments.

Coinage: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

Patrick Grady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2019 to Question 207221, which coin issuing authorities have (a) requested permission or (b) indicated intention to request permission to issue new £1 coins.

Robert Jenrick: We can confirm that a number of coin issuing authorities have already indicated an intention to request permission to introduce the new £1 coin in their territories. For reasons of confidentiality and commercial sensitivity, The Royal Mint does not disclose details of any specific enquiries.

Medicine: Education

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on funding for additional domestic medical student places.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of funding additional domestic medical student places to meet NHS demand.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to ensure the UK has the ability to train sufficient numbers of medical students for the NHS workforce.

Elizabeth Truss: The government is delivering on its commitment to roll out an extra 1,500 medical school places. Around 630 have taken up places on medical courses in September 2018, bringing the total intake for 2018/19 to 6,701 - the highest on record. A further 690 will be available to students in 2019/20 and the remaining 180 places will be available in 2020/21. The NHS has established a national workforce group, which will look at the future medical workforce as part of delivering on the workforce aims set out in the Long-Term Plan. The NHS will publish a detailed workforce implementation plan in the Spring.

Debts

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has for debts owed to HMRC to be included in its new Breathing Space scheme.

John Glen: The Government published a consultation on a single policy proposal for the breathing space scheme in October 2018. The consultation proposed that as wide a range of an individual’s personal debts as possible would be included in the scheme, including certain tax and benefit debts. The consultation closed on 29 January, and the Government intends to confirm its approach to these aspects of the scheme in its response.

Medicine: Education

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Department of Health and Social Care on funding to provide additional places for medical students.

Sir David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to ensure that the UK can train sufficient medical students for the NHS workforce.

Elizabeth Truss: The government is delivering on its commitment to roll out an extra 1,500 medical school places. Around 630 have taken up places on medical courses in September 2018, bringing the total intake for 2018/19 to 6,701 - the highest on record. A further 690 will be available to students in 2019/20 and the remaining 180 places will be available in 2020/21. The NHS has established a national workforce group, which will look at the future medical workforce as part of delivering on the workforce aims set out in the Long-Term Plan. The NHS will publish a detailed workforce implementation plan in the Spring.

Office for Professional Body Anti-money Laundering Supervision

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at what level registration fees for anti-money laundering supervisory bodies under the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision will be set; and when those supervisory bodies will be notified of that fee.

John Glen: OPBAS is part of the FCA. FCA fees are set following public consultation. The FCA consulted on the 2018/19 fee-rate for OPBAS in October 2018 (CP18/32). Consultation closed on 14 December. The outcome of the consultation is being assessed through the appropriate internal governance procedures and the FCA intend to publish its decision in Spring 2019.

Office for Professional Body Anti-money Laundering Supervision

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to ensure that accountants who are not members of an anti-money laundering supervisory body under the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision meet their anti-money laundering obligations.

John Glen: Accountants that are not a member of a designated anti-money laundering (AML) professional body supervisor must register with HMRC for supervision purposes. As a supervisor under the Money Laundering Regulations, HMRC takes its response to money laundering very seriously and has committed to meeting the high standards set by the Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS). HMRC actively pursues those individuals who should be registered for AML purposes.

Office for Professional Body Anti-money Laundering Supervision

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of the Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision.

John Glen: The Oversight of Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing Supervision Regulations 2017, allowing for the creation of the Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS), came into force in January 2018 and places a requirement on the Treasury to periodically carry out a review of the regulatory provision contained in the regulations and to publish a report setting out the conclusions of the review. The first report must be published before 26th June 2022. OPBAS activity will also be included in the FCA annual report.

Retail Trade: Urban Areas

Mr Marcus Jones: What fiscal steps he is taking to support the high street.

Robert Jenrick: Budget 2018 announced Our Plan for the High Street, which will provide £1.5bn to support high streets as they adapt to meet the changing needs of shoppers. The Plan includes a £675m Future High Streets Fund, planning reform, a High Streets Taskforce and support for community assets. It also includes one third off small retailers’ business rates bills for two years from April. [This is worth almost £900m to businesses.]

Income Tax

Nigel Huddleston: What progress he has made on reducing the amount of income tax that people pay.

Mel Stride: The government is committed to keeping taxes low to support working people keep more of what they earn.Budget 2018 announced that the government will increase the personal allowance to £12,500 and the higher rate threshold to £50,000 from April 2019, one year earlier than planned.This tax cut means, in 2019-20, a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,205 less in tax than in 2010-11. Across the UK, 1.74 million of the lowest paid will be taken out of tax entirely since 2015, leaving more of their hard-earned money in their pockets.

Social Security Benefits

Neil Gray: What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on reviewing the adequacy of funding for social security benefits.

Elizabeth Truss: We are projected to spend almost £100bn on working age welfare in GB in 2019/20 – more than in any other year.

Universal Credit

Paul Blomfield: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of the roll-out of universal credit on the personal finances of claimants.

Elizabeth Truss: Universal Credit replaces an outdated system of six different benefits, ensuring it always pays to work. We’ve scrapped the seven waiting days for Universal Credit so that people get their payments faster, and we’ve increased advances so everyone who needs it can get their first month’s pay within five days.

*No heading*

Chris Law: What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on providing additional support for low-income households in Scotland.

Elizabeth Truss: We’re supporting the living standards of low income families in Scotland and across the UK. The lowest earners saw the fastest pay rise in 20 years with National Living Wage and their wages rose by 8% in real terms between 2015 and 2018.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Scotland

Kirstene Hair: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has he made on the Local Full Fibre Networks Programme in rural locations throughout Scotland.

Margot James: The Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) Programme has the following Scottish projects and potential projects: LFFN Wave 2 Challenge FundHighland Council are planning to use the SWAN Framework to implement a gigabit fibre network to 152 public buildings in Inverness, Fort William, Thurso and Wick - awarded £4.3m BDUK Funding. This project is in preparation stage for the 'Ready to Procure' Assurance Gate. LFFN Wave 3 Challenge FundShetland Council have successfully passed the LFFN Investment Panel stage and are working on the final Business case to go through Assurance Gate A and if approved will be issued with a letter of offer for £2m BDUK FundingTay Cities combined authority are in the dialogue stage regarding a potential LFFN project in their area.Renfrewshire Council are at the pre-dialogue stage regarding a potential LFFN project in their area

Stonewall: National Lottery

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 206860, on Stonewell: National Lottery, what processes are in place to ensure that providing information for key public sector institutions does not constitute lobbying or break any rules on political funding.

Mims Davies: The Big Lottery Fund (BLF) has a process of review and due diligence on the award of all grants to ensure that BLF money is spent in the ways agreed through the grant making process, supported by a robust approach to the monitoring of grants over their lifetime. All Big Lottery Fund programmes clearly state in their guidance that they cannot fund political activities. Each programme is assigned a BLF member of staff as a point of contact who works with the organisation after the grant is made, supporting the grantee and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of their grant. A further protection is provided by charity law which prohibits charities from supporting or funding a political party. This is enforced by the Charity Commission, as independent registrar and regulator.

Video Games

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what safeguards his Department has put in place to prevent vulnerable people being exploited by the gaming industry.

Mims Davies: The Gambling Act 2005 sets out licensing objectives which underpin the regulation of gambling in Great Britain. They include the protection of vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.All operators providing gambling facilities to consumers in Great Britain must be licensed by the Gambling Commission and comply with licence conditions. These include requirements to prevent underage gambling, to intervene when a customer shows signs of being at risk of harm and to offer the facility to self-exclude. Operators may also be required to make tools available to help players manage their gambling, such as setting time or spend limits.In May last year the Government published its Review of Proposed Changes to Gaming Machines and Responsibility Measures, which set out a package to strengthen protections further. The response can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-proposals-for-changes-to-gaming-machines-and-social-responsibility-measures As promised in the Review, the Government has passed legislation to reduce the maximum stake limit on B2 machines from £100 to £2. This will come into effect on 1 April 2019. Alongside this we announced action to strengthen safeguards online, including the rollout of GAMSTOP, the online multi-operator self-exclusion scheme. The Gambling Commission has consulted on tightening age and identity verification requirements and will publish a response shortly. It will also launch a call for evidence on gambling on credit and a consultation on customer interaction. The Review also announced measures to strengthen protections on gambling advertising, including significant new guidance from the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) on protecting vulnerable people, tougher sanctions for operators in breach of advertising codes, and a major advertising campaign aimed at raising awareness of risks around gambling.

Greyhounds: Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Greyhound welfare boosted through multi-million pound deal with gambling industry, published in January 2019, whether (a) a full audit of the requirements needed has been made in relation to capital costs for repairs to trainers' kennels and tracks and (b) all revenue expenses have been calculated to ensure that no greyhound suffers (i) on the track and (ii) through lack of a good home.

Mims Davies: On 10th January 2019, Government announced a new funding commitment from bookmakers worth an estimated £3m this year to ensure the welfare of greyhounds is protected and improved. We expect thousands of racing greyhounds are to be better cared for as a result of this new deal. The commitment is set to increase the total amount of funding from bookmakers to the British Greyhound Racing Fund to an estimated £10m this year.The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB), responsible for the governance, regulation and management of the sport of licensed greyhound racing in England, Scotland and Wales, has committed to improve licensing and inspection standards on and off track. I look forward to meeting with them and the Greyhound Forum in the coming weeks to discuss this work further. A full audit of trainers’ residential kennels is underway to prioritise upgrades and GBGB has allocated £400,000 specifically for kennel upgrades in 2019. A further £160,000 has been allocated to support tracks which do not currently have air-conditioning in their kennel areas.This commitment will further support greyhounds both before and after racing by helping to fund the GBGBs Injury Recovery Scheme and providing £1.4m to the The Greyhound Trust to help find homes for retired greyhounds, ensuring where possible they go on to enjoy a full and active life in retirement.

Public Sector: Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how the proposed UK Cyber Security Council will reduce public sector cyber skills shortages.

Margot James: As set out in the initial Cyber Security Skills Strategy 2018, creating a new UK Cyber Security Council is one of a number of initiatives that aims to increase cyber security capacity and capability across the whole economy. Our ambition is for the Council to bring greater coherence to the existing cyber security professional landscape, ultimately helping both those looking for cyber security jobs and those looking to fill cyber security vacancies across the public sector and wider economy.

Third Sector

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 71 of the Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, what steps the Government has taken to work with civil society, the Electoral Commission and the Charity Commission to explore what other non-legislative steps could strengthen civil society’s confidence in its campaigning and advocacy role.

Mims Davies: The Civil Society Strategy is long term, setting out our vision for government’s work with and for civil society over the next 10 years and beyond. The Strategy acknowledged the importance of the campaigning and advocacy role of civil society. Early discussions have already taken place with the Charity Commission and the Electoral Commission on what more could be done to improve civil society’s confidence in its campaigning and advocacy role. Our resources are currently focused on other priorities from the Civil Society Strategy and on preparing for EU exit, but the intention remains to work with charities and regulators to take forward this important recommendation in due course.

Third Sector

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 71 of the Civil Society Strategy published in August 2018, when his Department will convene a cross-government group to work with civil society to establish the principles of effective engagement in the policymaking process, learning from the examples of good practice that already exist.

Mims Davies: The Civil Society Strategy is long term, setting out our vision for government’s work with and for civil society over the next 10 years and beyond. Our resources are currently focused on other priorities from the Civil Society Strategy and on preparing for EU exit. This is an important recommendation in the Strategy and one that we would hope to turn our attention to later this year. DCMS is already leading the way in enabling effective youth participation in national policy making and the department is pioneering approaches which can be adopted across government. These include a Civil Society Youth Steering Group to oversee the development and implementation of policies affecting young people in the Civil Society Strategy; a national Young Commissioners and Inspectors Group to involve young people directly and meaningfully in the commissioning, monitoring and evaluation of national programmes affecting young people; exploring a new digital solution to enable large numbers of young people to play a role in consultations and programme design across the government. DCMS expects to announce the partnership of organisations which will be leading delivery of these commitments shortly.

Third Sector

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 107 of the Civil Society Strategy, published in August 2018, what steps his Department has taken to support the spread of Citizen Commissioners.

Mims Davies: The Civil Society Strategy is a forward-looking long-term strategy, which we are looking to build on. We are currently promoting the concept of Citizen Commissioners to stakeholders at appropriate meetings and events. We have held discussions with those currently running Citizen Commissioner schemes to understand content options for possible guidance. We will further engage with target audiences in the future to further define and understand needs and options. The Commissioning Academy also continues to bring together public sector decision makers to learn about commissioning and public service transformation, including how to effectively co-design, co-produce, and co-deliver services with the communities they serve.

Third Sector

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 107 of the Civil Society Strategy, published in August 2018, what steps his Department has taken to share the lessons learned by local authorities who are leading the way in co-designing, co-producing and co-delivering their services with users and their local communities.

Mims Davies: Through our Enabling Social Action programme, we are supporting local authorities to co-design, co-produce and co-deliver their services with users and their local communities. So far we have delivered three national learning events, selected four regional champions, set up action learning partnerships with six local authorities, and shared learning with a peer network of over 900 commissioners, civil society organisations and councillors across the country.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to promote peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Karen Bradley: Supporting efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland remains an important part of my Department’s work, though most of the responsibility for policy and delivery in these areas would normally fall to the devolved administration. The Government does, however, continue to make significant contributions. For example, I was pleased to announce earlier this month that around £300 million of UK Government funding will be committed to projects to support peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland between 2021 and 2027. In addition, we have provided substantial additional resources to ensure both Northern Ireland related terrorism and paramilitary activity are tackled effectively. We remain committed to the implementation of the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements and have consulted on how to best address Northern Ireland’s past and move forward.